Rachel's Story
By Bobby Warren
Rachel Colombini's attitude is positively infectious despite battling what can be a deadly infection. The magic performer, creator, manufacturer and retailer has an array of talents, but she has not yet figured how to make $200,000 appear out of thin air.
Rachel and husband Aldo Colombini are reaching out to the magic community and beyond, hoping their hearts are moved to help the couple raise money for Rachel's medical procedure.
The Colombinis have established two ways for people to help. One is the website www.magic4miracles.com – it is set up to accept donations, and the other is their online store www.wildcolombini.com, where the couple are offering customers an incredible special when they purchase any of their effects, books, DVDs or ebooks.
Rachel was born with a congenital heart defect.
When she was young, it was not a big issue, she said. She did not need to take any medications, but 10 years ago she started taking a beta blocker to help slow down the deterioration of her heart.
About three years ago, she contracted bacterial endocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart's inner lining, according to the National Institutes of Health website. It occurs when germs come into the bloodstream, and it can damage a person's heart valve, which is what happened with Rachel. It can be life-threatening.
Doctors were able to the kill the infection on Rachel's heart valve, but her valve was further damaged with legions. The physicians told her once people have bacterial endocarditis, they are at risk of getting it again. In April, she learned it came back.
Rachel and Aldo were on a tour of England. They were booked for six weeks in the United Kingdom and one week in Austria. However, two weeks into the trip, Rachel said she began to feel strangely tired for no apparent reason. Causing the trouble were emboli, objects in the blood stream, which can be dislodged clots or clumps of bacteria. Rachel called her primary care physician back in the states, and she was told blood clots can travel, cause blockage and be deadly. She was instructed to get to the nearest emergency room.
The next day, she went to the ER, where blood cultures were taken. Rachel was informed it would take seven days to get the results back, but she said no way. As it turned out, the results came back the next day, and Rachel was called back to the hospital in England. They wanted to keep her hospitalized to insert a catheter and administer a daily infusion of medication to treat the vegetation that was growing around her heart.
However, Rachel said there was no way she and Aldo could have afforded stay there for five to six weeks while she was being treated. While they would not have to pay for the hospitalization, they would incur other costs, like food and lodging, and they would not be able to work and bring in any income.
Within 24 hours, the Colombinis were back in Florida. Once they arrived, a cardiologist was waiting for her. The infection was back, and for five days a catheter was placed in her arm to her heart. For an hour a day, she received an infusion to attack the infection. The catheter has remained in her since returning from the U.K., and it will remain there until mid-June, she said.
Because of the damage done to the valve, Rachel was told doctors cannot continue to treat the valve: It would need to be replaced.
While valve replacements are becoming more common, they are usually done in older people, Rachel said.
The options are a metal valve, which will last a long time, or a tissue valve from a pig or calf, but it might last only 10-15 years. The problem with the metal valve is that it is prone to infections.
“A tissue valve … only lasts 10-15 years, and I would need open heart surgery every time, and I am only 44,” she said.
Rachel has been meeting with different cardiologists and getting differing opinions about which way to go with treatment. She was also told the best place to be treated is at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Deciding on which treatment is not the only road block Rachel and Aldo have to overcome; money is a factor, too. They have limited health insurance. If they seek treatment at Cleveland Clinic, their insurance will not cover any of the expenses because it is out of state, Rachel said. Further complicating the decision is how will they bring in any income if Rachel has to be in Cleveland for two to three months for the surgery and recovery.
“We work for ourselves,” she said. “It's difficult not working for three months.”
Even though a physician laid out options for treatment, Rachel told the doctor, “You might be giving me options, but I am not in the financial position to stop my life for three to six months. It's insane.”
Some people have told Rachel to get the surgery, then tell the hospital she will pay them $50 a month. However, “It's not my mentality to have it done and not pay somebody,” she said. “I don't want to go through bankruptcy.”
Rachel and Aldo understand the seriousness of Rachel's condition. She bluntly tells her husband she can die at any time.
However, in all of the conversations for this interview, one would be hard pressed to detect any sadness or self-pity in her voice. Through it all, she remained upbeat.
“She has a good spirit, hope and positive thinking,” Aldo said. Someone told him that the best thing with something like this is having a positive attitude. “If that is true, then it will not be a problem,” he said. “She is the most positive person I know.”
Word is just now spreading about Rachel's condition and situation. So far, people have donated $4,000 to the cause. The response has been great from France, Spain, and America, Rachel said. On the Magic4Miracles website, on the donation page, they inform people that for every donation, they will receive a free ebook. Rachel has discovered when she sends out an e-mail to donors instructing them how to receive the free ebook, many tell her they donated to help her, not to receive a free ebook, so they decline the offer. On their online store, the Colombinis are offering customers one free item for each item purchased.
Rachel said Maria Ibanez has really been helpful during this time. She set up a number of lectures and dealer demos throughout Florida. The Colombinis were not charging for these lectures; they were grateful for the opportunity to sell some of their products and raise money for the surgery.
“The people in Florida have been amazingly helpful,” Aldo said. “It's amazing to see how many friends are supportive.”
While she tries to remain upbeat and positive, Rachel said, “Sometimes I'm frightened. I'm in a lot of pain.” Despite her condition and the pain, she always tries to perform two or three effects at the lectures. At one of them, she was told she did not look good and she should sit down.
“I'm grateful Aldo is as understanding as he is,” she said.
While the two have had lengthy discussions about the reality of Rachel's condition, sometimes it reaches a point where they say, “Let's not discuss it any longer.”
“The only thing is to wait and see what happens, and that is the problem,” Aldo said. “We don't ever stop thinking about this. She can die any moment, but she jokes about that.”
Rachel said she has strong beliefs, and “Whatever will be, will be.”
To help with this cause, visit Magic4Miracles or WildColombini.com.
