MPO Brent Wages Heart Stem Cell Fundraiser

So what do you do when your doctors tell you there isn't much more than can do? Do you just throw your hands up and say this is it? We have the best cardiologist team in the state but they have run out of options for Brent. After doing exploratory surgery in June, they concluded that his heart is just too weak and doesn't seem to be getting any stronger leaving us at a 15% heart function and signs of it getting weaker with constant low blood pressure. Besides the constant physical struggles, the emotional toll is one that can't be explained in words. Brent went from planning out funeral music to determining to be here to see his son graduate high school, taking 3 mile walks everyday with Bryce and pushing himself to get stronger. Bryce never leaves his side. You can see the fear in his eyes but he knows the importance of these minutes in time after watching his dad have a heart attack right before his eyes and spending countless hours laying next to him in the hospital on the many visits we have done. I however, worry every time they walk out the door. Will that be the last time I ever see him? Did I tell him I Love him before he left? 

Every day I live in fear but we have never been one to give up on anything. When a military family told me they had family members who had never met there son and couldn't afford to fly out to meet the 2 year old before he passed away from brain cancer, we raised the money! We raised over $47,00 for them in just a few weeks, making his final days one surrounded by love. (view Jase's story  I created a video)

My family is not unfamiliar with fighting the good fights and raising funds. I even shaved my head for St. Baldricks to raise $15,000 for childhood cancers and my son jumped in and shaved with me!(video of event ).With the amazing help of people like you, I raised over a million dollars for different charities like Children's Hospital, St. Judes, SPCA, YMCA and Cystic Fibrosis and numerous personal fundraisers but now I need your help to fight my personal fight for life! Americans are amazing generous, we make this planet a better place because of our hearts and willingness to give back. Maybe that was my original attraction to my husband as he put on his uniform and set off to the streets every day as a police officer.

Please! Help me save my hero!

 So what do you do when the doctor seems clueless? You go find someone with an answer! Alternative medicine is everything these days, from CPD oils to Coenzyme Q10 and after much research we have found stem cell research being a possible life saver. That is just one the new regimens we want to try but the cost is substantial to say the least (5,000-10,000 per session), he will probably need 3 sessions. To say the least, we need your help! Between him not being able to work any longer and retirement just covering medical bills, it leaves us in the dark. We have been waiting for an investment to be able to be cashed out but without that moving forward, we are running out of time. I appreciate anything you can do to help my family! I even set up a photo session fundraiser for those who want amazing family photos, headshots, glamour shots and help our family in the process. You can purchase a session at: Heart50 Photo 

If you have alternative options with positive results for an enlarged heart, please send them my way. We are researching all possible options! [email redacted]

Sincerely,
Erica Robertson

July 11th, 2019 post from wife:

Our worst fears for today was that they couldn't find anything they could fix with Brent's heart, his heart is just tired I guess. It just doesn't want to get stronger. Heart function is at 20% at the most, doctor says he will release Brent this afternoon and see him in a few weeks but it is time for a miracle.

My poor son, the look on his face when the doctor asked me, "you do know this is the worst outcome we could have hoped for today, right?"

Leaving heart broken but never without hope. I guess the positive note is disability can't reject him again or could it? This all seems so unfair to a guy who served 26 years as an officer and somehow retired with no health insurance. Now he isn't being released because his blood pressure is too low. Ugh, I just want to cry in a corner.

Update on March 29th, 2019 from wife

I can not thank you all enough for the kind messages and love to get us through this once again. The doctor asked for a meeting with the family this morning and explained the balancing act we are currently in.

His body has built up an estimated 32 pounds of fluids restricting his breathing as a result of the heart not pumping correctly. They don't know why he is in heart failure and can't figure the cause until the fluid is reduced drastically creating a more stable situation to allow them to do the proper tests.

Getting the fluid drained is a balancing act within itself. They just cut the amount of meds in half to avoid kidney damage slowing the process.

Heart Ejection Fracture is currently at 15%. It's going to be a long road but we hopefully will know more in a few days. The staff here has been excellent in every way. Thank you all for the prayers, he is allowed visitors so please message me for times if you want to see this crazy bored boy.
 
2017's Heart Attack post from a family friend:

Brent Wages, who is a 24 year police veteran was admitted to the Riverside Hospital last night after having  a heart attack and having 100% blockage in an artery in two places. He has had two stents placed and is in ICU recovering. He will likely be there for a few more days and then the recovery will really begin. Sadly, he had just gotten back to work from the bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis that had sidelined him earlier the past few months along with a major knee injury that happened back in December on the job after a psych patient attacked him with a bat. This family can't seem to catch a break! 

Brent was diagnosed with an enlarged heart over 10 years ago and when told, his doctor told him he would be lucky if he could survive another 10 years but Brent is a fighter and he is still here hoping to be able to spend more time with his 14 year old son, wife and friends. 

If the stress of his physical condition isn't enough, his wife went home from the hospital last night to finally get some rest and opened up the mail and was sidelined with medical bills for over $4,000 from his last trips to the emergency room and hospital visits from Pneumonia. Sadly, his condition has weakened his physical overall condition and hospital stays will become a more common. In recent years he fights pneumonia 2 to 3 times a year with his last event almost taking his life. 

This family has served this community in every way you can imagine from Brent serving as an officer and his wife who has volunteered on 9 boards and even recently handling the funeral of another local police officer. 

They are the type of people who would take their last shirt off their back to help a stranger.

Thank you and God bless!