Former Winnipegger Jessica Bondar is now clinging to life in a Montreal hospital.
Bondar, 19, needs a heart transplant and on Thursday, she suffered a stroke. It happened just a few weeks after her aunt was charged with fraud after more than $40,000 was allegedly taken from a trust fund. The fund had been originally created to help raise cash to cover Jessica's treatment and medication.
On Thursday night, hospital staff found Jessica lying on the floor of her room, unable to speak or move.
"The CT scan showed she had a massive stroke," said Charlotte Roy, Jessica's mother.
"They're treating her for that but don't know what the prognosis will be."
In 2009, Jessica had a stroke and suffered kidney failure.
She still managed to graduate from high school in Winnipeg but has had to put her life on hold, awaiting a heart transplant.
Now, she's been transferred to an intensive care unit. She has swelling on the brain and might need to have a craniectomy to ease the pressure.
Friends said all they want is for Jessica to be well again. Sara Vechina said she spoke with her friend Jessica a few days ago and the young woman was full of hope.
"(She said) ‘you have to come visit me in June' and she was telling me about her family and how beautiful it is there," said Vechina.
Charlotte Roy said the legal situation over the fraud case is another stressful issue the family is facing. But, she said the focus remains on her daughter and praying for her health.
"She'd be okay if she got a heart (transplant). She's been waiting for two years," said Roy.
The family also wants to stress the importance of being an organ donor.
Jessica's aunt, Sheryl Matheson, 38, is slated to make a court appearance on the fraud charges in mid May.
- with a report from CTV's Nancy Carlson
