Father fighting in ICU

Hi, my name is Brooke. My stepfather, Mark, suffered an unexpected, medical emergency, Sunday morning. My mother and stepfather attended a family party the Saturday afternoon prior, returned home, and went to sleep. Early Sunday, my mother was awoken by a loud noise. Mark had fallen to the floor as a result of a grand mal seizure, something he has never experienced. 911 was called. On his way to the hospital, Mark endured several more seizures. As doctors attempted to stabilize him, it was decided that Mark needed to be put into a medically-induced coma. In this time, Mark received a multitude of tests including an MRI, scans, and a spinal tap.

Testing revealed Mark will need open heart surgery to replace a valve and possibly a pacemaker. Doctors will continue to test him to ensure the the seizures are heart-related or if there is another medical hurdle to overcome. Mark continues to be in a medically-induced coma.

Mark works extremely hard and is the sole financial provider for the family, supporting 7 people—two of which are his amazing teenage children…who eagerly await his recovery.

While Mark is in the hospital, my mother, Katherine, has not left his bedside. Katherine is anxious to find work to provide for the family, but that will be a challenge as she continues to advocate for Mark in the hospital and makes arrangements to ensure her children’s lives can find some semblance of normalcy in this time.

The family will need help to get by in this period of uncertainty. There is rent and bills that need to be paid, and basic necessities like putting food on the table and feeding the pets. The school has just begun this week, and the kids have long lists of necessary school supplies.

My family and I would greatly appreciate your help. This will help give Mark the time to receive and recover from his medical procedures, and my mother the time to find work and work towards getting the family’s lives back on track.

Any amount would be greatly appreciated!