James’ Journey

Hi. My name is Kira Pelham. As many of you know, my husband, James Pelham, was diagnosed with heart failure about two years ago. Since then, the doctor visits have become more frequent. He has stayed positive, worked on changing his lifestyle, becoming more active, and fighting to get his heart healthier.

Approximately a month ago, he found out that he had a 100% blockage from mid-thigh to mid-calf in his left leg. He’s been unable to walk well or far, has had to stop working, and deal with it.

Yesterday, he underwent a procedure to have a stent put in behind the knee. The procedure was complicated, but the doctor was happy with the results. His leg and foot warmed up, and he had a pulse again.

We left Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, got about halfway home, and he passed out. I got him to UPMC around midnight, where he was immediately surrounded by staff doing tests and hooking him right back up to machines. He was then brought by ambulance back to Mercy Hospital, where he currently still is.

He now has to make the decision to have an open bypass done in his left leg on Tuesday, which is an extremely invasive surgery. It’s about a week of recovery here in Buffalo and about three months of recovery after. If you know him, you know that he is a Class A CDL driver who drives locally during the “good weather” season. This would essentially put him out of work for the rest of the year without the ability to apply for unemployment.

So here is my plea. I need help. I need to assure him that my two part-time minimum wage jobs and help from you all will cover any expenses and monthly bills we have coming and coming soon. I need help with gas to get to and from Buffalo the next two weeks, follow-up appointments, and possible rehab. I need help making sure I can keep our electric on while he is recovering, keeping insurance on the car, and all the things he normally takes care of.

Even if you can’t help monetarily, please share. I appreciate every single one of you.