08/20/2025
On a February morning in 2021 Vonne and her husband Dave left home for a few hours of cross-country skiing. Minutes after pulling into the ski trail’s parking lot Vonne saw her life flash before her eyes. She heard a loud buzzing sound, felt intense pain, and started to clutch her throat. The only good thing about the incident is that she was not entirely caught off guard. Vonne was 62 at the time but since age 15, she had lived with a condition that could trigger a life-threatening aortic dissection at any time. This was the day it happened.
The aorta is the most important blood vessel because it carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. An aortic dissection is a tear to the inner layer of the aortic wall. This event wreaks havoc on the body because blood begins flowing between the layers of the aortic wall instead of just through the center. Blood flow to other organs drops off and, in some cases, the aorta can fully rupture — an event that is almost always fatal.
Thanks to quick thinking by Vonne, Dave and a large team of UW Health physicians, nurses and therapists, she survived this traumatic ordeal. Her recovery over the past few years has been bumpy and there were days she was ready to give up. But thanks to her care team, her unshakable will to survive and Dave, her incredibly dedicated husband, Vonne is enjoying a more normal life with endless gratitude.
Vonne was born with a rare condition called Marfan syndrome. Those who have it are frequently not diagnosed until their teens or 20s. Marfan syndrome weakens the connective tissue that holds the muscles and bones together. In Vonne’s case, part of her aorta began to bulge outward. In time, the bulging causes the inner wall of the aorta to tear, which is when a dissection occurs.
Fast forward to 2021, when Vonne had her dissection in the parking lot. Knowing that his wife’s life was at stake, Dave immediately drove Vonne to the closest hospital. Once there, UW Health MedFlight was called and within 25 minutes she was on her way to Madison.
When she landed, the Med Flight crew took her straight to the operating room, where cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Andreas de Biasi and his team were ready to begin the highly complex surgery.
Vonne spent much of the next six months in a local rehab hospital. Now more than three years later, Vonne is in a much better place. She relishes the moments spent with friends, riding her e-bike with Dave or traveling.
“It’s hard sometimes, because my lung capacity and stamina are not what they were before all of this happened," she says. “Still, I am incredibly grateful. Dave and my sister Lajeanne have been my rocks, and the medical people who take care of me — Dr. Ballantyne, Dr. de Biasi, Dr. Sonetti, Dr. Dailey, Dr. Francis and my primary care physician, Dr. Pamela Ryan — are exceptional people. They listen and respect my desire to be involved in my care. I’ve never gone outside of UW Health. They’re like family and they are my people.”
Read Vonne’s full journey: https://uw.health/4fBecLp
