COVID Fundraiser for Dustin Truong

 

 

Hi all! This is a fundraiser for Dustin Truong, my 15 year old younger brother. He is currently hospitalized due to COVID19 infection along with a severe case of Pneumonia. Moments before leaving his home for the ICU, he was panting in order to "breathe normally." At the hospital, we found out that if he did not go to the ICU that night, he would have suffocated in his sleep. The x-rays lit up with two very white lungs. Dustin had a severe case of pneumonia, which critically affects his chances with COVID. My brother had to be sedated and put on a ventilator. He was unable to breathe on his own. The ventilator started off doing 80% of the breathing for him so that his lungs could heal. His lungs had to heal before his body could even begin to fight off COVID.

As his lungs were healing, he was able to slowly wean off the ventilator, but then the medical professionals noticed excess air and fluid around his lungs. Dustin was sedated and the doctors performed surgery to assist in reducing the fluid and air around his lungs. It worked. He was sort of awake and his stats were improving. He couldn't talk but desperately wanted to write something.

The doctors and nurses urged him to relax and focus on healing and sleeping. As he was getting better, the doctors noticed air and fluid around his heart. Again, Dustin is sedated and steps are taken to reduce the air/fluid around his heart. Currently, Dustin is still sedated and he's trying to recover. Things have been improving, but he still has a long way to go.

 

The person organizing this fundraiser is his older brother. I can't visit him, because he has COVID. I can't do anything but pray and wait. I get updates about him through the nurses, doctors, our mom, and his dad. When I was in college, he was in elementary school. Every single member of my fraternity brothers know how much I love Dustin and how much I talk about that boy. Dustin taught me new age concepts like "privacy" and the early 2000s babies' version of the word "weeb." He's taught me to slow down and enjoy things. He is one of the nicest, most genuine, goofiest dudes I know. I was hoping that by his awkward teenage years, I would able to coach him through the emotional process of a teenage young man and teach him how to drive like a cool, responsible, safe driver. I'm still hoping that I get to teach him that. I know Dustin is strong and I know he will get through this as he does with everything else in his life.

 

I'm organizing this fundraiser because, well, I'm here in my office and he's there, sedated and in the ICU. When he recovers, I don't want him to feel the guilt that is associated with medical debt, so I set this gofundme up. I'm starting off with $1000. I know that he will need more than that. To everyone, I'm asking for assistance to help with Dustin's recovery. He needs his parents more than ever, and they know this. His parents are at the hospital 24/7 & they're understandably worried sick. In the meantime, they will need help with medical bills and income lost due to time taken off. Any amount helps. I have an account set up for Dustin and will put a large portion towards his medical bills. The other portion will go towards utility bills for his parents.

 

Dustin through the years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~~~~
Dustin Truong: a cool, responsible, safe driver of a Jeep Wrangler. photo taken in 2027