My wife is only 35 years old and was recently diagnosed with heart failure. The doctors still cannot determine the cause for her heart failure at such a young age. During her stay in the ICU at the University of Minnesota, she experienced a life-threatening episode of V-Tacc that lasted almost ten minutes. The staff was waiting for her to pass out so they could shock her heart back into a normal rhythm, but she never lost consciousness. They had to shock her while she was still awake, and thankfully, her heart rhythm was restored. The doctors called her a medical marvel and said she should not have survived that situation. 

 Over the next week, she underwent many tests, including an arterial line, a right heart cath, and a picc line to help with testing. She has since undergone a procedure to implant a defibrillator in her chest to protect her if she goes into cardiac arrest, and she will need to go home with IV medication to help her heart function. If the medication does not improve her heart, she will be placed on the heart transplant list in hopes of qualifying for a heart transplant. 

Funds raised will help pay for medical bills, in-home care for my wife and our five children. My approved leave is less than the time my wife will need to recover, so these funds will help bridge the gap and keep our family stable. Please help support our family in this devastating time of need. We have five children ages 1, 4, 7, 10, and 16, who deserve to have their mother present through childhood and beyond.