Help towards Rick’s journey to walk and eat again.

For those who may not know me, my name is Isabel, and I am Rick's wife. Alongside Alejandro Pombo Sarmiento, Rick's cousin, we are reaching out to Rick's friends and extended family for support. We are raising funds to assist Rick in navigating his new life following the complications from his open-heart surgery on March 1st, 2023.

What happened:

On March 1st, 2023, Rick underwent a planned open-heart surgery to fix a growing aortic aneurysm that had been developing over the years. Doctors had warned us about the seriousness of his condition and advised surgery within six months of diagnosis. Despite our shock, we hoped for the best. However, during the surgery, doctors realized his heart was in worse shape than expected, leading to five procedures instead of one. Rick's heart stopped at one point, but doctors resuscitated him. Unfortunately, the shock to his body caused an ischemic stroke in the right side of his brain, bringing further complications.

After his initial surgery, Rick was immediately transferred to the ICU where he remained unconscious for five days, leaving us uncertain about the extent of brain damage. Slowly, he began to regain consciousness, showing signs of responsiveness and movement on his right side. However, he spent two weeks on a ventilator before finally being extubated. Soon after, doctors informed us of a severe bacterial pneumonia attacking his lungs, worsening his condition. Two days later, he had to be reintubated, and a week after that, he underwent his second surgery: a tracheostomy and peg tube placement to help with eating. In the middle of these challenges, Rick's heart began to struggle, necessitating his third surgery for a pacemaker to manage atrial fibrillation. Following this, he was weaned off the ventilator and transferred to another facility for continued recovery. Unfortunately, his condition deteriorated, leading to his return to the ICU. It seemed as though Murphy's Law was in full effect: if anything could go wrong, it did.

Despite the tough journey, Rick's resilience pushed him through, and by some miracle and the grace of God he is alive. After three months in the ICU, he was discharged from the hospital and decannulated. But life at home brought its own set of challenges. Rick became completely dependent on others for even the most basic things. Over the past year, he had to relearn how to walk with a walker and is now able to walk a little around the house. Thankfully, his brain recovered remarkably. He struggled with severe aphasia for about a month and a half but gradually regained his ability to communicate. However, it’s important to mention that he's not the same as before, he still struggles to remember certain things from before, and still doesn’t even remember that he had this surgery. His biggest challenge now is severe dysphagia from the stroke, which has made it impossible for him to eat anything by mouth for the past year.

Damage and procedures Report:

Aortic Valve Replacement

Maze

Left Atrial Appendage Clip

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting CABG x1

Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR)

Tracheostomy

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) Placement

Treatment for multiple episodes of pneumonia

Multiple Thoracentesis procedures to extract fluid from his lungs

Weakness on the left side of his body

Inability to eat or drink by mouth

7 hospitalizations in the past year

96 days in the ICU

What we are raising funds for:

Intensive speech therapy to address severe dysphagia

New ENT treatment to facilitate eating and swallowing

A new wheelchair to improve mobility and independence

An electric chair lift for access to his room upstairs

A ramp for easy entry and exit to the house

A special medical bed

A new mattress

Conditioning of the house to accommodate his new life

A recliner chair

Insurance costs

Medical devices

Rehab costs

And unforeseen medical and other expenses that may arise

Every donation, big or small, will directly contribute to easing these difficult days and improving Rick's quality of life.

For those unable to donate at this time, we kindly ask that you keep Rick in your thoughts and prayers for a complete recovery. Your support and positive energy mean a lot to us during this challenging time. We also encourage you to share Rick's story far and wide so that it may touch the hearts of others who may be able to help. Thank you for your kindness and support.