- K
For those of you who know Dan “Danger” Pfaff he has in some way touched
your life in a capacity you could never explain. Daniel’s battle with CF (cystic
fibrosis) has not been an easy road and his strength is truly an inspiration. Dan
has surpassed incredible hurdles with his ability to keep fighting he has been
able to overcome two double-lung transplants and here we are now waiting on
a THIRD pair of lungs.
Dan was admitted to Toronto General Hospital on Friday, August 7th, 2020 due
to either obstruction of the bowel or appendicitis. Tests showed that he had
gallbladder complications, a tube was inserted to drain the bacteria and he
was placed on heavy duty I.V. medication. In the following days his lungs
caught an infection and he was also diagnosed with C Diff. Little did Dan know
this was about to turn into the largest storm he had ever faced in his life..
Thursday, August 20th, 2020 was a game changer …
As of Thursday, he became a resident on the Toronto General Hospital ICU ward.
Due to raising CO2, he was struggling to breathe in the night and started to fall
prey to CO2 poisoning symptoms. They called a code blue when he awoke, he
was intubated and in the ICU. His CO2 levels were at 175 (to clarify, a normal
level is about 23-30). Being intubated for long isn’t good for a guy like him. The
pressure from the ventilator would damage his kidneys and his already very
diseased lungs. His transplant team has provided him with some time by putting
him on ECMO; a life support machine that will essentially act as his lungs. There
are positives and negatives to such a life saving device, it is meant for short term
use and will act as a bridge to the final goal; LUNGS. The team is fast tracking his
final tests to see if he will be eligible for a third transplant. He is undergoing a
colonoscopy Monday morning the polyps will be removed and biopsied. They
will also review his antibodies. If the results from both tests are good, then the
lungs are a GO.
So this is where we are Friends, Family and Supporters… we wait and while we
do so, we need to send positive energy into the world for our Dan! For most of
us, that is all we can do. Whether that’s sharing photo’s, funny stories, or
sending strong words of encouragement, that is what Dan can use as the days
get longer and harder. However, there are currently two people who can do a
bit more. They can physically be there in order to relay those messages and
continue motivating Dan in order to get him over this steep and large
mountain. Those two people are Dan’s loving mother Tanis and his caring twin
sister Amy. In the coming weeks, Tanis and Amy are set to live inside their own
bubble (eat your heart out NHL) by moving into an Air BNB that is within a short
distance to the hospital. It will allow them to be there when permitted and
reinforce the fact that Dan is not alone in this.
It is with this understanding that the family has decided to start this fundraising
campaign. In order to ensure that Tanis and Amy can focus their entire efforts
on Dan’s wellbeing, we are asking everyone to contribute anything they can
during this time. This financial support will be used to assist Tanis and Amy in their
accommodations, meals, parking and in anything else that may arise during this
period. It’s also the harsh reality that while they work tirelessly to help Dan, the world
continues to turn and they too will need our support during this period. By
providing a donation, each one of us can help be the difference in having Dan
overcome the odds once again. That’s an opportunity we rarely get in life and
anyone who is able and willing to take this opportunity, we thank you in
advance. There is no donation too small or too big; every dollar will help during
this time. The Hargraves truly are a special family who exemplify the definition of
generosity. Here is our chance to help them when they really need it. Dan has
touched so many people. Now is our chance to help support him in this battle,
so that he can continue being the inspiration for so many.
I will leave this off in the words of Daniel himself:
“Every fighter reaches a point where the fight gets tough, but it is in these
moments that they hear the crowd and soldier on. I can hear you guys and I’m
not done. I’m ready to fight and will fight.”
For those that have done so already and want to continue sending your support, or if you haven't yet and wish to do so, please reach out to the organizer of the event, Laura Hargrave, in order to obtain the email address to send all of your photos and stories to that is specifically dedicated to Dan and his supporters.
It should also be noted that in the event that there are any excess funds following Dan's battle, those funds will be donated to Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
your life in a capacity you could never explain. Daniel’s battle with CF (cystic
fibrosis) has not been an easy road and his strength is truly an inspiration. Dan
has surpassed incredible hurdles with his ability to keep fighting he has been
able to overcome two double-lung transplants and here we are now waiting on
a THIRD pair of lungs.
Dan was admitted to Toronto General Hospital on Friday, August 7th, 2020 due
to either obstruction of the bowel or appendicitis. Tests showed that he had
gallbladder complications, a tube was inserted to drain the bacteria and he
was placed on heavy duty I.V. medication. In the following days his lungs
caught an infection and he was also diagnosed with C Diff. Little did Dan know
this was about to turn into the largest storm he had ever faced in his life..
Thursday, August 20th, 2020 was a game changer …
As of Thursday, he became a resident on the Toronto General Hospital ICU ward.
Due to raising CO2, he was struggling to breathe in the night and started to fall
prey to CO2 poisoning symptoms. They called a code blue when he awoke, he
was intubated and in the ICU. His CO2 levels were at 175 (to clarify, a normal
level is about 23-30). Being intubated for long isn’t good for a guy like him. The
pressure from the ventilator would damage his kidneys and his already very
diseased lungs. His transplant team has provided him with some time by putting
him on ECMO; a life support machine that will essentially act as his lungs. There
are positives and negatives to such a life saving device, it is meant for short term
use and will act as a bridge to the final goal; LUNGS. The team is fast tracking his
final tests to see if he will be eligible for a third transplant. He is undergoing a
colonoscopy Monday morning the polyps will be removed and biopsied. They
will also review his antibodies. If the results from both tests are good, then the
lungs are a GO.
So this is where we are Friends, Family and Supporters… we wait and while we
do so, we need to send positive energy into the world for our Dan! For most of
us, that is all we can do. Whether that’s sharing photo’s, funny stories, or
sending strong words of encouragement, that is what Dan can use as the days
get longer and harder. However, there are currently two people who can do a
bit more. They can physically be there in order to relay those messages and
continue motivating Dan in order to get him over this steep and large
mountain. Those two people are Dan’s loving mother Tanis and his caring twin
sister Amy. In the coming weeks, Tanis and Amy are set to live inside their own
bubble (eat your heart out NHL) by moving into an Air BNB that is within a short
distance to the hospital. It will allow them to be there when permitted and
reinforce the fact that Dan is not alone in this.
It is with this understanding that the family has decided to start this fundraising
campaign. In order to ensure that Tanis and Amy can focus their entire efforts
on Dan’s wellbeing, we are asking everyone to contribute anything they can
during this time. This financial support will be used to assist Tanis and Amy in their
accommodations, meals, parking and in anything else that may arise during this
period. It’s also the harsh reality that while they work tirelessly to help Dan, the world
continues to turn and they too will need our support during this period. By
providing a donation, each one of us can help be the difference in having Dan
overcome the odds once again. That’s an opportunity we rarely get in life and
anyone who is able and willing to take this opportunity, we thank you in
advance. There is no donation too small or too big; every dollar will help during
this time. The Hargraves truly are a special family who exemplify the definition of
generosity. Here is our chance to help them when they really need it. Dan has
touched so many people. Now is our chance to help support him in this battle,
so that he can continue being the inspiration for so many.
I will leave this off in the words of Daniel himself:
“Every fighter reaches a point where the fight gets tough, but it is in these
moments that they hear the crowd and soldier on. I can hear you guys and I’m
not done. I’m ready to fight and will fight.”
For those that have done so already and want to continue sending your support, or if you haven't yet and wish to do so, please reach out to the organizer of the event, Laura Hargrave, in order to obtain the email address to send all of your photos and stories to that is specifically dedicated to Dan and his supporters.
It should also be noted that in the event that there are any excess funds following Dan's battle, those funds will be donated to Cystic Fibrosis Canada.