Assist Rice Family in Tough Times

David Johnathan Rice is my father and also my best friend. My dad has done literally everything for me, my sister, and my mother for all of my 21 years of living, dedicating his life to our family and trying to keep us all happy every day. My dad did and still does everything for me. Dave would make lunches for me and my sister every single night, make breakfast for us every single day, and drive to and from school to pick us up. My dad has always been there for us, always making sure that we are okay and healthy, ensuring we have everything we need. My dad would make anything possible for my family and me. I currently live with my dad, and he still makes me food and takes care of me each and every day of his life. My father is one of the most important men in my life, and I don’t know what I would do without him or how I can survive without him. Even when times were tough, my dad still tried to keep a positive attitude for me, my sister, and the rest of my family. His first priority is to make sure my family and I are okay, and it always has and will be that way. My dad has not one bad bone in his body and is the most gentle, sweetest, caring person I have ever met. I seriously mean this when I say it: I really don’t know how I could survive without my dad. He keeps my spirits up and makes me feel like there is purpose in life, and he makes me the happiest woman on this earth. My dad's favorite thing to do was to surf; he has been surfing his whole entire life, and thanks to him, it’s also my favorite thing to do as well. My dad has truly such a beautiful soul inside and out.

But something very devastating and unfortunate happened on February 4th, 2025, at 2:30 AM. My father, David Rice, went into cardiac arrest and suffered multiple heart attacks. He was pronounced dead, but luckily the paramedics were able to get his heart beating, and he was then transferred to the Simi Valley hospital. The doctors informed us that my dad had suffered a widow-maker heart attack, which is said to be one of the worst heart attacks. Luckily, he survived through it. He had to be put into an induced coma, so all we had to do was wait for him to wake up. We would visit the hospital every single day, just talking to him and playing his favorite rock music like Linkin Park. We then got a call on the day that he got a CAT scan because he was not waking up, informing my mom, my sister, and me to come to the hospital immediately as they had news to tell us. I was so nervous and had so many thoughts rushing through my head. The neurologist came into the room and informed us that my dad’s brain had zero brain activity due to the amount of oxygen that wasn’t reaching his brain during the heart attack. It felt like I had just been stabbed and someone was twisting the knife inside of me. It felt like a bad dream and that I would soon wake up. I was devastated; I couldn’t grasp the reality that my dad was gone and that I could never speak to him again. My dad was the rock of my family and still is. I’m so heartbroken and still struggling to accept the reality. My dad is absolutely amazing, so sweet, and just such a great guy to everyone, always putting others before himself. This has been so difficult, and now my mom, sister, and I are forced to find other means of a place to live as we are being kicked out of our current house that we can’t afford anymore with two dogs as well. Thank you for taking the time to read our story. Whether you are able to donate or simply share my dad's story with others, your support means the world to us. Every contribution, big or small, brings us one step closer to our outcome. We are deeply grateful for your kindness and generosity during this difficult time.