Chicago Police Officer Charlie Villanova came home from work April 29 — one of his first days back on the job after being shot on duty — only to find his wife unconscious.
He called paramedics and performed CPR on his wife, Melissa Villanova, at their Mount Greenwood home until emergency responders took her to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
A 911 dispatcher herself, Melissa Villanova was suffering an irregular heart rhythm. She underwent surgery and spent about a week on a life support system that takes over heart and lung functions.
After remaining in the cardiac intensive care unit for weeks, using tubes for eating and breathing, Melissa Villanova began working with physical therapists this week to help regain her mobility and speech. On Monday, she took her first steps since that day in April.
Her medical emergency happened around two months after she gave birth to their first child, Elizabeth.
And last November, Charlie Villanova was shot in the arm when a man fired at him and three other officers after an attempted stop in the South Shore neighborhood.
A fundraiser launched less than a week ago has yielded more than $50,000 to help cover medical costs and rehabilitation.
“They are two of the most giving human beings I have ever had the pleasure of knowing in my life,” Mary Blough, a close friend of the Villanovas and creator of the GoFundMe, told the Sun-Times. “They are quick just to give their shirt off the back and help anybody, so it is so nice to see that turning around and them receiving the support.”
Blough, who with her husband went to high school with Charlie Villanova, thanked the first-responder community for much of the monetary support, saying Melissa Villanova has had many Chicago firefighters in her family over the years.
More than $30,000 was raised in less than a day, which Blough said “speaks volumes” about the Villanovas, who are both 29.
“The outpouring of support has been absolutely amazing,” Blough said. “It’s breathtaking, honestly, how great the community is.”
Though doctors had initially feared that Melissa’s heart and brain might not recover from the incident, she has since made immense strides toward recovery, Blough added.
“The family really hung on and knew that she was a fighter and was going to keep on fighting,” Blough said. “She is doing fantastic, so we’re actually hoping that she will be able to get into a better rehab facility than we had originally expected because she is just absolutely flying and doing great.”
