On December 5th, 2013, Nick was having dinner with his daughter when he began feeling ill. They left dinner and took a trip to the emergency room. Doctors found that he was in atrial defribrilation. He was admitted to the hospital. On December 8th, Nick suffered from a stroke, which affected his speech and memory for several months. He was in speech therapy to regain what was lost, but had to stop going due to the cost.

After further testing, doctors found that his mitral and aortic valves were bad and needed to be replaced via open heart surgery. His surgery was originally scheduled for Valentines Day, but had to be postponed due to an oral infection. He was FINALLY cleared for surgery on March 28th, 2014--nearly 4 months after his inital trip to the hospital.

Nick has not been able to work since December 5th, 2013. He applied for unemployment, but was denied by the state. He has also tried applying for disability, but still has not received acceptance. Now he and his wife are trying to live AND pay his medical expenses on one income (after depleting their savings). His medical bills not covered by insurance at this point are an upwards of $10,000. 

Nick and Joanne are both employed by The Comfort Inn in Denver, PA.

There will be Kauffman's BBQ fundraiser from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, June 21st. Presale tickets will be available at the front desk of the Comfort Inn very soon. Check back shortly for an update.