Hi, my name is Billy and I’m fundraising for my brother, Austin.

Our family has a hereditary gene that causes cardiovascular issues such as hypertension (high blood pressure), arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), aortic aneurysms and aortic dissection. Genetic diseases like this include Turner Syndrome, Marfan Syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Loeys-Dietz Sydrome. It’s the same complications that caused the death of John Ritter and that claimed the lives of our paternal grandfather at 49, our aunt at 29, our uncle at 56 and our father at 42.

Late Tuesday, July 18th 2023, my brother (28 year old Austin) suffered an aortic dissection that tore toward his heart, causing him to need several stents put in and the loss of a kidney. A stroke (which is very common in survivors of aortic dissection) was luckily avoided. While the amazing care he received at both Providence and OHSU was of course incredibly expensive, the state of Oregon has gracious and incredible assistance available. However, that doesn’t cover the fact that Austin will be unable to work for an indeterminate amount of time due to the lengthy recovery ahead of him. We’re asking for your help to donate to Austin on his road to recovery and ensure that he continues to receive the care that he needs and assist with covering expenses while he’s unable to work in any way you can. Thank you so much!