CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A 24-year-old woman who has been rejected by hospitals in New York and Philadelphia as a potential heart transplant recipient has come to Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital hoping for a new lease on life.
Jessica Venditto has had to fight from the day she was born -- the day of her first open-heart surgery.
"She doesn't ever complain. She doesn't feel sorry for herself. She's just one of the most positive people I've ever met," said Lurie heart surgeon Carl Backer, who said Jessica has battled arrhythmia, a punctured lung and liver trouble, and said her wounded heart is worsening. But she addresses it with an amazing attitude.
"I actually have a saying that every day is a great day," Venditto said. "I try to stay positive and stay happy through all of this."
"I'm staying here in Chicago until I get that call for my heart," she said.
That is more than a wish because Backer says she and his surgical team must be ready 24-7 if a donor's heart becomes available.
Partially as a result of being uprooted to be nearby, and in part because of the complexity of her condition and treatment, the family has huge ongoing medical and relocation bills which they are trying to defray through GoFundMe donations.
Her GoFundMe page is www.gofundme.com/jessicavenditto.