FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Nearly one year after a life threatening brain bleed, a Fresno girl and her family are hosting a fundraiser Saturday to help other Valley families facing similar medical challenges.
The family of Lilly Heater is hosting its first fundraiser Saturday, Oct. 17, through Lilly’s Journey, a nonprofit created to raise awareness about brain arteriovenous malformations, or AVMs, and support Central Valley families facing similar medical challenges.
The event comes one day after the anniversary of Lilly’s injury.
On Oct. 16, 2025, Lilly collapsed at school when an AVM, an abnormal connection of blood vessels in her brain, ruptured. She underwent emergency surgery and spent 209 days in the hospital before returning home in May.
Her grandmother, Marti Eichman, said the family struggled to find local resources and other families who understood what they were experiencing.
“We wanted something local and there wasn’t anything local,” Eichman said. “What can we do to help other families?”
The nonprofit hopes to provide financial assistance to families navigating medical crises while also giving back to Valley Children’s Hospital’s rehabilitation department, where Lilly spent months recovering.
Lilly has since returned to school and continues to make progress. She recently walked to school twice using her new walker, a milestone her family once feared might not be possible.
Her recovery has also shown her the importance of having people by her side, including her best friend, Roxy, who visited her during rehabilitation.
When asked why she wants people to attend Saturday’s event, Lilly said, “Because they need a friend like my friend.”
The Lilly’s Journey community gathering, silent auction and fundraiser will take place from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at NorthPointe Community Church’s Milburn Campus in Fresno.
Admission and parking are free. Money raised will benefit the nonprofit’s efforts to help local families and support Valley Children’s rehabilitation department.
More information is available at lillysjourneyofhope.org.