LARRY needs some help!

I am Larry’s older brother Marc and I am writing this because Larry needs some help.  He needs help to pay for his medical treatment and medications as well as help keeping his home and vehicle. None of us thought that this day would come and believe me, as hard it is for us to have to ask for help, it is so much more difficult for him. But the time has come that we realize that the situation has become critical and we have no choice. 
 Many of you know Larry and his story, but for those of you who do not, please read on...
Thank you all for any assistance that you may be able to offer and
please share this link.

Back Story:
Larry had a very hard last couple of years. I have been very impressed, as I see him face the challenges that have been laid before him and as I watch him continue to fight to move forward. He has done so with dignity and without any self-pity. It started about 3 years ago...

Our mother had been ill for several years. Larry and his partner Frank and their two awesome puppies moved into mom’s house to be able to care for her. They had decided to build an add on suite, so mom could live with them and still have her “own space”. Mom moved in with me for just over a year while the remodeling was done. After construction, she moved back home and into her brand new suite. Unfortunately, she was only able to enjoy her new place for a short time. Her illness worsened requiring emergency hospitalization and eventually, full time nursing home care.

After a couple of years mom’s health declined and on the morning of January 24, 2013 she passed away.  Several months later and very unexpectedly, Larry’s friend and partner of over 30 years was diagnosed with cancer. For the remainder of 2013, they were consumed with fighting that disease. We all know this type of fight is never easy for anyone.  As both of them were dealing with that issue, Frank’s dad, who had himself been
dealing with health issues, passed away in November.      2013 was not a good year, however, 2014 would be worse. Larry’s best-friend and partner lost his fight against cancer in early February of 2014.

In just over 12 months, three of Larry’s closest loved ones were gone. It was heart breaking. But Larry knew that life must go on, as tough as it was, he had to continue. As a way of “escaping reality” and to help deal with his loss, Larry became engrossed with his work
as HR Director. He kept busy with his house, the pups and community theater projects.  In early 2015, Larry became the Director of the play “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown”, for a local community theater. He was putting in long days at work ( a two hour commute
each day) and then getting home, taking care of the dogs and then heading out to the theater for auditions, casting, rehearsals etc.  Even while still dealing with the great loss of the past year and the “normal” stresses of today’s everyday life, he was moving on, getting though it day by day and it seemed as though things were going well.

In early April, he started to feel a little “not right” for a few days. While at work on April 8th he felt bad enough to call his doctor to make an appointment for a check up.
Larry never made it to that appointment. The following day, Thursday, April 9, 2015, changed Larry’s life like nothing he ever experienced...

The day started like any other. He was up early and was off to work, driving to his office in Paramus, NJ. Stopping for his usual morning coffee and bagel and getting into the office just as he had always done. The office where Larry worked is comprised of a large open area with cubbyhole work spaces filling the main room.  Along the hallways that line the main room are private offices. Larry’s office, as Director of Human Resources, was at the end of the hallway and the farthest from the front office reception area. Immediately behind the reception area is a small kitchenette/lunch room. I describe the work area layout because of what happened at about 11 o'clock that morning.

For some unknown reason, Larry left his office and walked to the lunch room perhaps to get a cup of coffee or drink of water, we don’t know and he doesn’t remember.  At the same time that Larry entered the lunch room, a co-worker was called to come up to
the reception area at the front of the office.  As his co-worker passed the lunch room she heard a strange noise and checked to see what it was.  What she heard was the sound of my kid brother, Larry, falling to the floor and against the wall in cardiac arrest. If she were not right there at that time, if Larry didn’t leave his office when he did, if things didn’t line up exactly as they did that day, I would not be writing this and Larry would have most certainly died.

His co-worker immediately called 911. The Paramus Police were on the scene very quickly and were able to start CPR and used a defibrillator. Medics from Valley Hospital and the Paramus First Aid Squad also were on the scene extremely fast.  All in all Larry received CPR for approximately 15 mins. and received no less than 7 shocks in an attempt to revive him. A long shot for sure, but it worked. As the cardiologist at the emergency room told us that day, Larry had just survived a “killer heart attack”. A 100% blockage of
a major artery of the heart they call... “the widow maker”.

In less than a month after emergency procedures in the ER, after treatment in ICU, a stay in the Step-down Unit and initial Cardiac Rehab, Larry was home.  He was moving slow but on his way to what could only be described as a amazing recovery.

This brings me to why I am here writing this today. Larry’s recovery was miraculous considering the type of and severity of what he had been through. Unfortunately, he did suffer some deficits as a result of the heart attack and due to the long recovery time he lost his job.  After surviving such an event, the job loss was a tough blow but, he considered himself to be extremely fortunate to be alive.

The company Larry worked for was awesome and he was able to get by for some time with a severance and heath care package his company offered. During that time he was attending additional cardiac rehabs, life style classes and many doctor appointments, all the while attempting to find new employment. Despite his constant job search and interviews he has been unable to obtain a job, any job.  His search continues to this day...

However, as I said at the beginning, Larry now finds himself in a position where he's in danger of losing not only his means of transportation and his home, but the means to continue his rehabilitation and recovery from this life altering event. As you can well imagine
someone recovering from a cardiac arrest, is closely monitored by several doctors and on a lot of medication.

Recently, Larry discovered that the health benefits he had have expired.  He has no job and now has no medical insurance. As a result several scheduled cardiac tests have already been canceled and he is not able to pay for the multitude of medications that are needed for someone in his situation.

That is why I am posting this and asking anyone who can help... to help Larry.  Even the smallest amount would help. If you are unable to do so, we totally understand
and thank you for taking the time to read this. I would ask that if possible you pass this post along to as many people as you can.

Larry continues to face each day and work through it, knowing that the situation is now critical. I know that he is the last person on earth that wants to ask for help. He has always been willing to do whatever he could to help others... I pray that we can do the same for him.

Thank you all and God Bless you!