Hello Family and Friends,

I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has reached out to help us during this difficult time.

Thank you

Lani

Ben and I don’t usually ask for help, but we have since learned that it is okay to do so. In 2021 Ben was diagnosed with CHF (congestive heart failure) as well as having an enlarged heart, and his heart condition has only gotten worse.

On April 25th Ben was admitted to Franklin Square where they determined that he needed an angiogram to see how far the damage had gone. During the angiogram they discovered a clot and that his heart wasn’t even working at 10% and that he is far beyond any medication that can help repair it. Franklin Square decided that any further medical treatment needed to be done at Union Memorial Hospital.

On May 2nd he was transferred to Union Memorial. The cardiologist team got together and determined that his heart has finally reached its limits. He is in desperate need of a heart transplant but until he can get one he will need an LVAD pump placed in his heart while he waits on the transplant list. This surgery will need to be done at the Washington Surgical Center in DC

The current plan is on May 7th Ben will be transferred to DC where they will do further testing to make sure he is a good candidate for the LVAD. Once the surgery is done he will need to spend two to three weeks recovering before he can come home.

As you can all see this will be a lot for our family. Ben will be out of work for at least two months if not completely disabled. I will have to travel back and forth to DC to check on him. Thankfully our sister and step mom live nearby where I can stay and work from time to time. But we will have to face the financial challenges of paying for both regular bills and hospital bills. If you can’t donate we understand but please share it out and help a family who has always been there to help everyone else.