Support Jim Luensman’s fight!

I’d like to take a moment to tell you about someone who is fighting for his life. That person is Jim Luensman. If you are in EMS, Fire, and PD in the Cedar Rapids, and most of Eastern Iowa, you know Jim. He has been a paramedic in the area for several years. Jim is like a brother to many people in the EMS community. I don’t mean, simply the brotherhood of EMS professionals, I mean that he treats everyone he meets as though they are family. He will be there to joke around with you, he will be there to support you when you had a tough call, he will be there when you need someone to just listen. He will be there. Now it is our time to be there for Jim. Jim, like many people, was diagnosed with COVID-19. After suffering from minor symptoms, for a few days at home, he was admitted to the hospital where he fought to breathe while on BiPAP for as long as he could. Shortly thereafter, Jim needed intubation. Once he was intubated his oxygen demands continued to increase and he was placed in a prone position to ease his ventilation. He also began having difficulty maintaining a normal blood pressure and needed to be started on a medication to keep his blood pressure up. Finally, the fight became too much to handle at the local hospital and he was flown via air ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) on Monday, October 26. Upon arrival to UIHC he was placed on ECMO, essentially a heart and lung bypass machine, to continue oxygenating his body, and let his body rest. He was also placed on dialysis due to decrease in his kidney function. Jim continues to fight. What can we do? Well, we can pray, and we can consider supporting Jim financially. Given Jim’s prognosis, it is unclear when Jim would be able to return to work after this illness and may have a substantial amount of medical bills. I am sure many people are wondering how they can help Jim. The best way, at this time, may be to support Jim and his family with a financial gift. If you are wondering what to give, consider this, money for a meal for Jim, Janetta and the three boys. If enough of us do just that, it will go a long way to help them during this time. If you can’t it’s okay, then just pray for Jim, Janetta and the boys. Thank you.