Recently, Chryssi and Steve Zeleny (pictured above), who traveled on Star Pride in the Caribbean last fall, wrote us a letter that, as a father of two daughters, I have not been able to forget.
Kate Via, one of their four children, newly married and even more newly pregnant, was in a horrific traffic accident that nearly claimed her life (and that could have seriously threatened her unborn baby). The baby was unharmed. Kate, however, suffered traumatic brain injuries. with the help of her husband, Josh, her mother, father, sisters and brother, and her medical team, she underwent significant surgeries and therapy over a year to learn to walk again, to talk again. She gave birth to Isaac, a healthy boy, and she’s reclaiming her vitality.
For Chryssi and Steve, their last-minute cruise on Star Pride turned out to be more than a getaway. It was a meaningful voyage in ways they didn’t expect, from randomly meeting a fellow traveler whose book on grief and healing mirrored their own family journey to Steve’s saving the life of a stranger. I am grateful to Chryssi and Steve for giving us permission to share their experiences, both in life and on their special voyage.
I have always believed that doing good things will bring good things, and the Zelenys’ experiences bear that out. Chryssi and Steve are a chapter in my life that I will never forget. I hope you will be as touched by their letter, just below, as we have been here at Windstar.
—Chris Prelog, president of Windstar Cruises
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Dear Mr. Prelog,
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for our first experience sailing with Windstar aboard the Star Pride this past October. To be honest, booking the trip was a last-minute decision for us, and it proved to be exactly what we needed in our lives.
In April of 2024, we celebrated our youngest daughter Kate’s dream wedding and began planning our “empty nest” life. But in November 2024, our world came to a crashing halt. We received a call from the hospital chaplain–the call that every parent dreads: “We have reason to believe that your daughter Kate has been in a horrific accident with life-threatening injuries.”
When we reached the hospital, we found our baby girl clinging to life in the most critical state a patient can endure. She was in a coma, suffering catastrophic brain injuries, Severe DAI, Severe TBI and multiple strokes–along with broken bones throughout her shattered body and extensive internal bleeding. Perhaps most harrowing of all, Kate was pregnant. Amidst the chaos of emergency surgeries and the desperate need for a miracle, the only sound of hope was the faint and distant beat of her baby’s heart. We lived at her bedside for days, holding onto hope when it was lost according to the medical staff. We refused to leave as we watched the impossible happen.
Slowly, we saw miracles take shape and after about three weeks of being in a coma her brain began to auto-regulate.
Weeks turned into months, and we never left her bedside for even a moment. Her baby’s heartbeat continued to pulse against all odds, and we watched Kate fight to relearn the most basic functions of life: breathing, sitting, talking, eating, and eventually walking. We moved from a hospital setting of survival mode to a rehabilitation setting where she truly entered “thrival” mode. However, the trials didn’t end there. In March 2025, while Kate was still recovering, we discovered a life-threatening fistula in her brain.
In a race against time, doctors performed an emergency C-section to save the baby, immediately followed by a grueling 12-hour surgery involving a number of neurosurgeons to save Kate’s life once again. After 25 brain stents and a year defined by the sterile walls of ICUs and the trauma of near-death emergencies, we finally had our daughter, our grandbaby, and a series of miracles to process.
As we reached our 30th wedding anniversary, we looked at each other and said, “it’s time to breathe, let’s celebrate life!”
We went to the computer, choosing a last-minute sailing on the Star Pride without knowing a single thing about Windstar–we had never even heard of the line before. What we found was a sanctuary. After a year of fighting for every breath, your ship provided the peace, intimacy, and elegance we needed to finally exhale.
At our first port of call, we set out to explore St. John on our own, seeking a quiet space away from the world. We hadn’t intended to socialize—we truly just wanted some time to ourselves—but within minutes of entering the tranquil waters, we found ourselves drawn to a family who was there for the exact same reason we were: to celebrate life!
In a staggering coincidence, we realized we were sharing the water with G.L. Woods, the author of Faith 911: The Inspiring True Story of Second Chances. To meet someone with such a parallel story of survival and faith, in such a serene setting, felt like a miracle in itself. What are the odds?
We found ourselves slowly mingling with the crew and our fellow passengers, and the solitude we thought we needed was replaced by something better: a sense of belonging. What started as a private retreat quickly transformed into a home away from home. –Steve and Chryssi Zelany
It seems that Star Pride served as the sanctuary we needed, providing the perfect backdrop for our two families to cross paths and share our journeys of faith and hope.
But the magic didn’t end there: just when we thought we would nestle in and stick to ourselves (again), the warmth of Star Pride took over. We found ourselves slowly mingling with the crew and our fellow passengers, and the solitude we thought we needed was replaced by something better: a sense of belonging. What started as a private retreat quickly transformed into a home away from home.
That sense of home was put to the ultimate test during our cruise’s private island barbeque off Virgin Gorda. The tranquility was suddenly shattered by desperate shouts for a doctor. A fellow passenger had collapsed face-down into her meal; she was unstable, and bystanders reported that she had no pulse. Without hesitation, my husband–a 30-year fire department captain–stepped in and took command. He performed the necessary life-saving measures until he successfully restored her pulse.
While rendering aid, he calmly took charge of the scene, directing passengers and crew to secure medical equipment and coordinating further assistance from Windstar’s medical team. His leadership stabilized her condition until she could be safely moved, ultimately ensuring she was given a second chance at this thing called life.
In the end, we came to Windstar to heal, but it seems we were also sent there to help someone else stay. Our “unknown” journey turned into the most meaningful voyage of our lives. We arrived needing a place to finally exhale, and we left having helped someone else take their next breath.
This voyage was more than just a vacation; it was a series of miracles — from meeting G.L. Woods in the quiet waters of St. John to the moment my husband helped save a life on an island.
Windstar provided the home, the peace, and the perfect backdrop for the stories of survival to intertwine. From all fibers of our hearts, we want to say thank you for giving us the perfect place to celebrate thirty years of marriage and the miracle of our family’s survival.
Thank you for giving us the space to heal, the community to belong to, and the chance to be exactly where we were meant to be. We didn’t just find a cruise line; we found a sanctuary that we will never forget.
With deepest gratitude,
Steve and Chryssi Zeleny
