A Miracle For Bob

Bob Ciancia had a massive heart attack on November 8th.  Bob is the husband to Barb, and father to Matthew, Angelina, Anna, Allie, Alaina, Krista & Markie.  Bob was transported to Beth Israel Hospital in Newark that very same day, where he has remained in Critical Condition.  Barb had to give up her job to be able to travel to see her husband and also be home for her younger children. Their daughter Allie, who is 18, was diagnosed at the age of 5 with FSGS (Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis, a noncurable kidney disease, which she is still battling to this  very day.  Their youngest son, Markie, is Autistic and was just recently diagnosed with frontal lobe seizure disorder.   This family needs our prayer for a miracle and help  wherever possible...

On Barb's Facebook update to family and friends on 11/23/2020:

Tonight’s update:
It was a really hard hard day. He was very uncomfortable so they turned up the sedation. They decided not to do the cpap trial today. They want him to be more stable.
His kidney function is a little better than yesterday and he hasn’t had a fever since yesterday. Those are the good things.
Now, he has to start getting better. His issues need to be resolved. He needs to get to where he was before last Friday. That’s the only way they can fix his heart. Sadly, they are giving me a time frame for this to happen. If he doesn’t improve within the time frame, other than what they are already doing, there is nothing else they can do for him. He can’t be on the vent or balloon pump for an extended period of time.
With that being said, there is a possibility we would have to have a discussion about end of life care. I’m hopeful, yet realistic. I talked to the kids and our world is just shattered. I need to be honest with them.
To top it off, I was also informed today, that due to Covid, they are not allowing visitors in the hospital starting tomorrow. This could be the last time I get to spend with my husband. Bob’s cousin brought up Anna and Matt so they got to spend some time with him.
My heart is shattered in a million little pieces. We need a miracle now more than ever. We need him to start improving. We are not ready to let him go.
Please storm Heaven.
Love to all <3  

Sadly, things seem to always happen around the Holiday Season.   I ask that you please take the time to lift Bob and his family up in prayer, donate if you are able, and share this GoFundMe.   He is fighting with all he has got, and we need to help Barb and her children know we are praying for strength and healing during the roughest times of their lives.

Hug your loved ones tight tonight.  Say an extra "I love you".  Life is so very short and be thankful this Thanksgiving for all you have....Tomorrow is not promised to any of us and its times like right now (for me, that is) when I see someone I know holding on and praying to the God's for dear life, you need people to help you in whatever way they can to get through this.

God Bless all the those who took the time to read this.  Prayers to Bob, Barb, all their children. my dear friend, Ruthi Blaum Grabowski and Steven Grabowski, and all the lives they have touched.

Thank you.


Update as of  11:50 p.m.  11/25/2020:

Today’s update:
Sorry I’m late with hubby’s update for today. I had a much needed visit from dear friends.
Today was uneventful for him. He’s doing ok. They started an oral heart med yesterday and they are tapering him off of the lidocaine. He is responding well to the new med. NO arrythmias since my last call at 1:30pm
He also did NOT need to be shocked today
His vitals are good, he’s all cleaned up and comfortable.
I did talk to the dr about a few fb I gave today. Their goal is to get him off the balloon pump within the next couple of days. They already lowered the settings so it’s giving him less support and his heart is doing more of the work. They need his heart to be doing most of the work before they can take him off. In the event he doesn’t do well when that happens than we have to discuss some things that I don’t even want to talk about.
When he’s stable he’ll get a pacemaker/defribulator. He can’t get one now because he’s not stable enough to get through the procedure, and it won’t fix the problems he’s having. He said it’s easier for them to just shock his heart as well.
And that’s about it. I’ll take it. I’m holding on to every bit of good news I can. It’s few and far between.
Keep the prayers coming.
Love to you all <3 


Update as of 11/26/2020:

Hubby update:
He is no better and no worse. His pressures went low today, enough for them to be concerned. Thankfully he is ok now. His vitals are ok. He is having some arrythmias but not like before. He will open his eyes and follow commands.
When I spoke with the dr today he is going to get me special permission to go up to be with him. He feels it’s crucial in this circumstance. I’ll find out tomorrow when that will be.
We spent the day with my sister Tammy
. We drank, we ate dinner, we laughed and cried, we drowned our sorrows in ice cream. It was a hard day, my first holiday apart from my husband in 27 years (since we started dating). I feel guilty for laughing, but I know Bob wouldn’t want me to just sit around and cry all the time (which is what I seem to do most of the time).
We are holding up. Krista’s birthday is Saturday so she’s having a real hard time. Mark keeps asking some hard questions and I have hard decisions to make. This is all too much.
I’m heading to bed hopeful for some good news tomorrow.
Keep the prayers coming!
Love to all   <3


Update as of 11/27/2020:

Hubby update:
I got to be with him today!!! The dr got special permission for me to go up there. I sat there for an hour and a half just holding his hand talking to him.
Then things took a turn. His heart went into the bad rhythm. I was rushed out of the room while a bunch of nurses and drs rushed in. I waited in the waiting room for at least 10 mins, which felt like an eternity. The de came in. They had to shock him and do chest compressions again and they got him back. He said this will most likely keep happening.
Right now he’s ok and stable with no more episodes. His potassium is low from the high dose of lasix. He has fluid in his lungs so they had to up the dose. The bad thing is he owes a lot and that lowers the potassium, so now he’s on that.
But he’s still here and stable.
I’ll take it.
I’ll find out in the morning when the next time I can go up is.
Keep the prayers coming!
Love to all  <3 


11/28/2020 7:35 p.m.

It is a with very heavy heart that I make this update for the family.....

Bob passed at approximately 4:30 p.m. this afternoon with his family at his side.   PLEASE keep this family in your prayers and please, even it it a few dollars, please help them put their loved one to rest.