Emily Willis’ family has been open about where the funds for her are going.
Emily, real name Litzy Lara Banuelos, had a cardiac arrest in February 2024, prompting her family to set up a GoFundMe account. Her brother, Michael, is the website’s organizer and wrote both the updates and the initial bio.
In the original bio, Michael explained to donors that Emily’s care was “incredibly expensive” and that they needed additional financial assistance “with mounting medical bills, the necessities of travel, all while the regular flow of life’s expenses.”
Michael went on to explain how the funds will be used, such as for medical expenses, travel, and accommodations.
The explained each element in detail, saying that for medical bills, “even with insurance, the gap in coverage leaves us facing significant out-of-pocket expenses for treatments and medications essential to Emily’s recovery.”
Michael explained that with the travel and lodging, they are ensuring Emily “is never alone” and “being by her side, which means securing a temporary home far away from our personal home to be with her in the hospital.” He went on to say that being away from work increased the “financial pressures” they faced.
The last update on Emily’s GoFundMe page, in May 2024, stated once more how the money would be used for her recovery: “Without your donations, my family would not have been able to provide the necessary level of care. “All donations are and have been going directly to Emily’s recovery.”
As of this writing, the fundraiser had raised $107,473. Emily’s mother, Yesenia Lara Cooper, filed a lawsuit against the rehab center Emily was admitted to for her ketamine addiction in December 2024, following the previous update in which Emily was “showing signs of responsiveness” such as eye tracking.
In the lawsuit, she accused the facility and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, LLC, of “abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, negligence, and fraudulent business practices”.
According to the lawsuit, Emily was physically unwell as well as unkempt during her stay at the treatment center, which worsened over the course of several days before her cardiac arrest.
Emily is now being cared for by her mother in Utah, after leaving a care facility. Emily and her mother’s lawyer, James A. Morris Jr., recently told the Daily Star that Emily can “move her body around some” and “make outward noises from time to time”
He also shared how Yesenia expresses her gratitude for those who have donated, and how they still need additional financial assistance due to the care Emily requires.
“It is unfortunate but the cost of the type of treatment that she needs is quite expensive, so it has been very very warming to the hearts of her loved ones that people have reached out, people have been kind in this manner,” Morris told me.
The attorney also stated that Emily’s legal trust, which was established in Utah, would properly distribute the donations.