Ariana Muti of Manahawkin went from being a 9-year-old who only had to worry about her next soccer game, to having to worry about arteriovenous malformation. This condition, known as AVM, is a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain.

Last January, I put together a comedy fundraiser at the Brownstone in Patterson along with Uncle Floyd and Eric Potts to raise money to help her family cover medical expenses. Imagine our surprise last Thursday when Ariana's mom, Gina, called in to tell us how she’s doing while Eric Potts was in the studio. We even got to hear from Ariana, herself!

“She’s doing great! She’s walking, moving her right hand, and going everyday to therapy at Children’s specialized hospital,” said Gina. We were also assured that Ariana is "fighting, she’s really fighting!” What truly warmed our hearts was when Gina told us that the night of the fundraiser was the first night she and her husband were able to laugh.

It’s a long road, but Ariana’s a fighter in the biggest battle of her life, Eric and I were so happy to see her her winning it.

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