Support Kelly Breisinger's Recovery Journey

Hi, I’m Katie Breisinger-Netzel, and I’m reaching out to ask for support for my amazing sister, Kelly Breisinger, and her family of six. They’re going through an incredibly tough time right now, and any help would mean the world to them.

On Sunday, February 9th, my sister Kelly was found unresponsive and rushed to Jefferson Hospital. After doctors discovered a brain bleed (hemorrhagic stroke) in her brain, she was airlifted to Allegheny General Hospital for emergency brain surgery. Kelly is currently in the ICU, intubated, and being closely monitored. We are so grateful that, since her last MRI on Monday, February 10th, the swelling in her brain has decreased significantly. We’re now waiting for her to wake up. While the doctors remain hopeful, we know there are still many challenges ahead, and we’re taking it day by day. It’s extremely scary and your support means the world to us during this uncertain time.

If you know Kelly, you know just how incredibly selfless she is. She’s always putting others before herself, often opening her heart and home to those in need. Even when she doesn’t have much, she goes out of her way to give what she can. Kelly is a true light, radiating kindness to everyone she meets, and her heart is as big as they come.

With Kelly unable to work while she focuses on her recovery, my goal is to help ease the financial strain on her and her partner, Dave. Together, they have four wonderful children, one of whom has special needs and requires extra care. Your support will make a difference in their lives during this challenging time.

These donations will help cover medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and essential family needs during this time. Any donation, big or small, will make a meaningful difference. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness, prayers, and support.

UPDATE: February 12th

We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the outpouring of donations, prayers, and support. Each contribution is truly life-changing for Kelly, helping with her medical bills and therapy. We are so thankful for each and every one of you.

We wanted to share a progress update with all of Kelly’s loved ones—family and friends. Yesterday, Kelly started to show small signs of improvement by opening her eyes slightly when stimulated and with family around. We’re noticing that each day, her eyes stay open a little longer. While there is still minimal movement on the right side of her body, she’s been squeezing hands and wiggling her toes with her left side, which gives us hope. Though she isn’t yet responding to nurse commands, we remain hopeful and believe in her strength and determination.

In more encouraging news, Kelly has had her breathing tube removed and is now breathing on her own, which we’re thrilled about. Today, the therapist worked with her, and she successfully swallowed a tiny bit of applesauce. While she is still non-verbal, we see her making progress every day.

When we show her photos and videos of her children, Kelly’s eyes lock onto them, and we believe it’s helping fuel her fight.

Kelly’s recovery will be slow, especially considering the significant amount of blood in her brain, but we remain hopeful. Right now, the primary goal is to successfully wean her off the brain drain tube, and we’re focused on that milestone.

We can’t thank you enough for your continued prayers, messages, meals, and donations. Our family feels so much love and support, and it’s helping us all stay strong. We will continue to support Kelly through every step of this journey, and we are grateful for each of you along the way.

UPDATE: February 19th

Kelly continues to demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience day by day. Her most recent brain scans have remained stable.

Today marked a significant step in Kelly’s recovery as her medical team clamped her brain tube to evaluate how she manages without assistance. While the initial results are encouraging, further observation is needed to ensure her brain continues to function properly without it. Kelly also transitioned from her bed to a chair! Although she has not begun speaking yet, and her doctors are uncertain if she will regain full mobility’s, her medical team has initiated physical therapy to aid in her recovery. Kelly is only able to move the left side of her body, so we pray that the PT will help her gain function of her right.

In the coming days, once Kelly’s brain tube is permanently removed, she will transition from the ICU to a step-down unit. This marks a milestone in her recovery, and we remain optimistic about her continued progress!

We continue to be deeply grateful for everyone’s prayers and support as Kelly’s journey continues.

UPDATE: March 4th

Kelly transitioned out of the ICU and is now being monitored in the step-down unit. She has successfully passed her barium test, resulting in the removal of her NG tube, and has begun the gradual reintroduction of solid foods. If her progress continues as expected, she will soon move to inpatient rehabilitation hopefully within the week!! We will make sure to keep you all posted.

We deeply appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers for Kelly.

Upadate: March 20th

Once again, thank you all for checking in, continuing your donations, and keeping her in your prayers. You have no idea how loved and supported we feel because of each one of you.

Kelly has now been in acute inpatient rehab for two weeks. Physically, she remains paralyzed on her right side but is receiving two hours of occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) each day as well as speech therapy. Prior to her stroke, Kelly had been dealing with back pain due to the weight-bearing of her youngest son. Unfortunately, this pain has worsened since the stroke, so we are currently working with her doctors to explore solutions. We’re concerned that the pain is hindering her progress in therapy but she is a fighter!

On a brighter note, Kelly’s mental clarity is improving every day! She is definitely aware of what’s going on around her, but she’s struggling to find the right words to communicate. This is understandably frustrating for her. We’ve been helping her with flashcards, reminding her of names, birthdays, and simple objects like a baseball. Despite the challenges, she is laughing and smiling most days! She has also started feeding herself with her working arm—go, Kelly!

Our family is working hard to prepare for Kelly’s transition once she’s discharged from inpatient rehab, which will be in a few weeks. Our dad and family friends are helping remodel Kelly & Dave’s sunroom on the first floor to make it more accessible for her. We’re also in the process of arranging full-time care, as well as in-home OT, PT, and speech sessions. While her insurance will cover some of these services, the caregiver will need to be self-funded. So far, we’ve used some of your donations to pay medical bills, assist with the handicap remodel, and secure a caregiver.

We are so incredibly grateful for all the support and love you’ve shown us. There truly is no way to repay you for everything you’ve done for Kelly. We are so lucky to have such an amazing community of people who care about her.

We’ll provide another update once Kelly is transferred home.