Hi everyone, my name is Hannah and I have set up this gofundme for my dad, Steven Lane. He is fighting to recover from sudden heart failure that was caused by a viral respiratory infection. I struggle with asking for help, but my dad, younger siblings and I truly need it now.

The purpose of this gofundme is to help us prepare to face the medical bills from the past month that my dad has spent in the hospital. We also need help handling costs related to his rent and utilities, so that my dad's housing is secured during his hospitalization, and while he recovers. My dad is self employed and has been unable to work due to his illness, and will not be able to work during his recovery. My siblings and I are terrified. Anything you can contribute will mean the world to us. Thank you all very much.

In late September, my dad became ill with what initially seemed to be a Covid infection or the flu. After over two weeks of feeling sick with worsening symptoms, my dad went to an urgent care. This was the beginning of a series of misdiagnoses throughout October and November.

After a Covid infection was ruled out, my dad was misdiagnosed with Pneumonia, and then with acute Bronchitis. He then saw a pulmonologist who offered another ultimately incorrect diagnosis. My dad spent weeks seeking answers, getting tests done, and waiting for results. And all the while, his shortness of breath and other serious symptoms were getting worse.

On November 13th, my dad suffered a heart attack. When he arrived at the emergency room, his heart was barely beating; his ejection fraction was at 5%. Recently, more testing has revealed that my dad was infected with a virus, Coxsackie B Virus, that attacked his heart, rendering it too weak to work sufficiently on its own. My dad has been in the hospital for a month now and we do not know how much his heart will recover, or how long it might take.

My dad is only 55 years old; he is healthy and active, with no history of smoking, alcohol abuse, or previous heart issues. He went to the doctors thinking that he had Covid or the flu, only to find himself in this waking nightmare: battling a virus that has caused advanced heart failure. This has all been so scary and sudden.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Anything you can share will make a difference for my dad and for our family.