Support Barnes Family in Their Sudden Time of Need

Dearest friends and family,

The outpouring of love and support has been overwhelming in the best way. The messages have eased the sadness and grief, and the donations have helped shed light on what has been a very dark time.

We are keenly aware that the holiday season has its extra financial burdens for everyone, so the generosity of your contributions has been even more special and surprising.

The most special thing you can do for Jill now is share this gofundme link on your socials or even better yet, make personal pleas to friends and loved ones who might not be in this immediate social media circle.

Gofundme.com says reposting is the name of the game.

Please consider posting or forwarding via email to your friends and family. Grateful for any and all help...

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Dear compassionate souls,

I extend my sincere gratitude for taking the time to read this. My name is Patrick Page, and my wife, Paige Davis, and I find ourselves here, reaching out to you with heavy hearts.

Last weekend, we lost someone irreplaceable—our dear friend and best man at our wedding, David Barnes. His family needs reinforcements from this devastating turn of events. The family’s sole source of income and benefits is now gone. David’s wife, Jill, is likely facing staggering medical bills, in addition to the ongoing lifetime care and support of their special-needs daughter, educational expenses for their son, and the daunting cost of relocating to where she can find employment. Their world has been upended in the blink of an eye, and they need our support more than ever.

David passed away quite unexpectedly due to complications from a routine leg surgery for an acute injury he sustained on a casual hike through the redwoods with his old high school buddies. The initial surgery on his quadriceps tendon was successful. He was home recovering and preparing for his follow-up visit with the surgeon when one-week post-op, this otherwise healthy, vivacious man formed blood clots causing him to suffer a major pulmonary embolism and severe heart attack. As he panicked to breathe, Jill called 911.

At first there was hope. Although Dave coded multiple times in the ambulance and at the emergency room, he fought his way back every time as the paramedics performed aggressive CPR for over an hour. We all acknowledge Dave as a one-in-a-million human, so none of us were surprised to hear that the emergency room doctors deemed him a miracle as they intubated him and got to work keeping him alive. They placed him on ECMO and dialysis.

We prayed he would pull through, but too many complications mounted for his body to handle. Balancing the Rx cocktail of blood thinners vs vasoconstrictors kept throwing his body into a catch 22 of fluid buildup and not enough oxygen reaching his organs. His bowels became necrotic. His colon was removed, and eventually they realized his brain was no longer registering activity. On the fourth day in the ICU Jill had to make the gut-wrenching decision to take Dave off life support.

Anyone who knew David will tell you he was their favorite person. His departure has left a profound and irreplaceable void, not only in the lives of his family but also in their community at large. We are all crushed by this brutal, and tragic outcome that still seems unfathomable. His family is attempting to accept their future without the most generous, compassionate, loving, and joyful human any of us will ever know. Jill now shoulders an unbearable weight, navigating the sudden loss of her beloved soulmate of nearly 35 years while facing immediate and extreme financial challenges.

David and Jill have always been the epitome of selflessness, readily extending a helping hand to anyone in need, often with no regard for their own hardship. It's time for us to rally together and reciprocate the kindness they've shown to countless others for decades.

Every contribution, regardless of size, will make a tangible difference in alleviating the astronomical burdens this family faces. Your generosity will provide much-needed relief, offering Jill and her children the support and stability they require during this urgent and trying time.

If, for any reason, you're unable to contribute, your act of sharing this plea with others who might wish to help would be immensely appreciated. Let's unite in demonstrating that empathy and solidarity can make a profound impact. There are few more deserving of this karmic blessing.

Let’s honor David's legacy by uplifting his family in their time of need.

With deepest gratitude,

Patrick