For those of you that may or may not know Walter Ragoza, he was recently admitted to Baystate Cardiac ICU and diagnosed with End Stage Heart Failure. Below is the background about Walter and what got him to the position he’s in now:

In 2014 Walter suffered a massive heart attack which lead to congestive heart failure. He had a pacemaker and defibrillator installed. For the last 11 years he was able to live his life again like normal, working full time at Pleasant Street Auto in South Hadley, taking care of his wife Kim of 30 years, his passion for cooking, and setting out for camping trips to Rhode Island in his beloved 2012 Lance Truck camper with their 2 cats. Yes, their cats go to the beach with them!

On Monday 10/27 Walter had an appointment with his doctor after having to cut short his anniversary and birthday vacation with his wife because he was having difficulty breathing. At the appointment they ran tests and found the fluid levels in his lungs were over 22,000. The doctor told Walter he was officially in End Stage Heart Failure and that he had to stop working immediately.

On Tuesday afternoon, Walter, being the hard working husband he is, thought he could complete one more task around his home and tried to put the lawn furniture away for the winter. His heart began to beat rapidly and irregularly. He described it as feeling like he was “being punched in the chest”. His pacemaker tried to regulate his heartbeat but when that failed, his defibrillator kicked in, but it still wasn’t enough. He was sent to Baystate Cardiac ICU. There they shocked his heart and got it back into normal rhythm. The plan was to evaluate him for the LVAD heart pump and schedule him for surgery next week because his pacemaker was no longer able to support his heart function alone.

Four days later, while still in the hospital, he suffered a stroke in the middle of the night. Due to his stroke, eligibility for the his life saving procedure is now pending.

We made this GoFund Me in hopes to provide some relief from the financial burden of medical bills, household expenses, and Walter’s ongoing care. His deductible alone is $9,000. His wife Kim, was recently disabled and has a hard time caring for herself. Walter has always been there to contribute to the household tasks that she is unable to complete. Now their life has been flipped upside down and they’re unsure of what the future holds. Walter desperately wants to get better and live his new normal with his beloved wife Kim. But until then, they need our help while they navigate through this overwhelming process.

Thank you for reading and I hope you consider donating what you can. Kim and Walter are extremely appreciative of the support from their friends, family, and community!