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All funds raised will be used to assist with medical and recovery expenses.
We're happy to announce that Brian has been bumped up the transplant list and could receive the call any day now.
We've created this Gofundme to financially assist Brian (aka Bribot). Medical and life expenses continue to mount, and we want to help ease their burden.
Brian has been unable to work during the Covid pandemic. The possibility of contracting the virus not only threatens his transplant viability, but has also been a very difficult year for the entertainment industry. Brian has been unable to perform or produce events. His wife is currently working two jobs to provide for their family. Brian has remained positive through this entire experience. Through everything he has continued to go out of his way to do things for others, and enrich lives while going through this in his own.
Please continue to pray for him, and surround him with love and light as he anxiously awaits the call from the transplant team.
Please read Brian's full story below
In January of 2019, Brian was diagnosed with beginning stage Congestive Heart Failure or (CHF). He began noticing his everyday routine was getting tougher. He was struggling to do the things he had been doing for years with ease. He had trouble breathing, walking, moving, etc. He had no appetite, was barely eating but was gaining weight rapidly.
His doctor referred him to a cardiologist. After meeting with him and doing a few tests, he was told he had beginning stage CHF and began taking medications. He was told to follow up in two weeks for more testing and to put a plan into action.
During that two-week period, he ended up in the emergency room one night and again the next day. After many tests, they decided they were going to do a heart catheterization and put in a balloon pump. The surgery was supposed to take a couple hours, but after they placed the balloon pump, they realized his heart function was much less than they had hoped. The pump was then replaced with what is called an Impella. This is a thin tube that basically helps the left ventricle of the heart push blood through the body. At the time there were two different Impella’s on the market. The Impella 3 and the Impella 5. Brian was given the Impella 3. After 24 hours, they noticed that the Impella wasn’t pumping enough blood to his organs. His kidneys and liver were starting to shut down.
They had done all they could at that hospital with the resources they had. Now, basically on his death bed, they had to transfer him to another hospital that was able to do more. It took almost three days to get the all clear to transfer. His health was on a rapid decline.
When he arrived at the second hospital, he remembers the cardiologist saying, “What the hell did they do to you?” and immediately rushed him to surgery. They called in a surgeon and implanted an Impella 5. They started him on dialysis, blood and platelet transfusions, intubated him, inserted a feeding tube and placed him on a ventilator. Eventually, he was given a tracheotomy.
He had severe jaundice to the point that he was crying and sweating yellow. After 3 weeks, he began slowly improving, and the doctors met with their Medical Review Board (MRB) to discuss more options. They decided they would consider him for an LVAD. (Left Ventricular Assist Device) if he continued to improve. The LVAD is an implanted pump that connects to the left ventricle and pushes the blood through the body as the native heart function was less that 20% in the left side and about 30% on the right.
After a month in ICU, they were given the go ahead to get the LVAD. They did the implant on April 4th, 2019. He spent another two weeks in ICU and finally was able to get off of dialysis before they moved him to the Transplant floor to recover. He spent a total of 52 days in ICU. He hadn’t walked in months; was bed ridden and needed assistance to get out of bed by the “lift team.” He had to be transported from bed to chair in a sling and machined mounted to the ceiling. He had many complications, needed many medicine changes, and lots of physical therapy.
After about a month he was finally walking about 500 – 1000 feet. Finally, at the end of May, they moved him to the rehab facility. During rehab, not only did he have to strengthen his legs to be able to stand, walk and climb stairs, he also had Occupational Therapy where he worked on doing household tasks and deal with everyday life occurrences. Finally, after 108 days, he was able to go home to his wife and monster of a dog.
The LVAD connects via “drive line” though his belly and out to a controller that is connected to two batteries. At night, he is plugged into the wall. He can’t be submerged in water so no baths or swimming. (yes, he can shower but it’s a process) Every day he has to do a sterile dressing change on his exit site that comes out of his belly. He can’t do heavy lifting or really bend over at the waist due to the fluid in the body shifting. He now cycles roughly 10 miles a day and/or ruck a 5k and do 90% of the things he used to do pre surgery.
All of this happened just 3 months after he and his wife got married and it was a complete emotional rollercoaster for the first year. He is currently waiting for a heart transplant and keeping his fingers crossed that it happens by the end of this year.
During this whole experience, he became close friends with many doctors, nurses and other staff in the hospital. The hospital asked him to join the patient and family coalition and had him travel with the hospital to the state capitol to tell his story to legislators and let them know how wonderful Tampa General Hospital is. He also became a volunteer at TGH and before Covid hit, spent time calling recently discharged patients as well as meeting with families and patients (pre and post LVAD surgery) as well as transplant patients.
We're happy to announce that Brian has been bumped up the transplant list and could receive the call any day now.
We've created this Gofundme to financially assist Brian (aka Bribot). Medical and life expenses continue to mount, and we want to help ease their burden.
Brian has been unable to work during the Covid pandemic. The possibility of contracting the virus not only threatens his transplant viability, but has also been a very difficult year for the entertainment industry. Brian has been unable to perform or produce events. His wife is currently working two jobs to provide for their family. Brian has remained positive through this entire experience. Through everything he has continued to go out of his way to do things for others, and enrich lives while going through this in his own.
Please continue to pray for him, and surround him with love and light as he anxiously awaits the call from the transplant team.
Please read Brian's full story below
In January of 2019, Brian was diagnosed with beginning stage Congestive Heart Failure or (CHF). He began noticing his everyday routine was getting tougher. He was struggling to do the things he had been doing for years with ease. He had trouble breathing, walking, moving, etc. He had no appetite, was barely eating but was gaining weight rapidly.
His doctor referred him to a cardiologist. After meeting with him and doing a few tests, he was told he had beginning stage CHF and began taking medications. He was told to follow up in two weeks for more testing and to put a plan into action.
During that two-week period, he ended up in the emergency room one night and again the next day. After many tests, they decided they were going to do a heart catheterization and put in a balloon pump. The surgery was supposed to take a couple hours, but after they placed the balloon pump, they realized his heart function was much less than they had hoped. The pump was then replaced with what is called an Impella. This is a thin tube that basically helps the left ventricle of the heart push blood through the body. At the time there were two different Impella’s on the market. The Impella 3 and the Impella 5. Brian was given the Impella 3. After 24 hours, they noticed that the Impella wasn’t pumping enough blood to his organs. His kidneys and liver were starting to shut down.
They had done all they could at that hospital with the resources they had. Now, basically on his death bed, they had to transfer him to another hospital that was able to do more. It took almost three days to get the all clear to transfer. His health was on a rapid decline.
When he arrived at the second hospital, he remembers the cardiologist saying, “What the hell did they do to you?” and immediately rushed him to surgery. They called in a surgeon and implanted an Impella 5. They started him on dialysis, blood and platelet transfusions, intubated him, inserted a feeding tube and placed him on a ventilator. Eventually, he was given a tracheotomy.
He had severe jaundice to the point that he was crying and sweating yellow. After 3 weeks, he began slowly improving, and the doctors met with their Medical Review Board (MRB) to discuss more options. They decided they would consider him for an LVAD. (Left Ventricular Assist Device) if he continued to improve. The LVAD is an implanted pump that connects to the left ventricle and pushes the blood through the body as the native heart function was less that 20% in the left side and about 30% on the right.
After a month in ICU, they were given the go ahead to get the LVAD. They did the implant on April 4th, 2019. He spent another two weeks in ICU and finally was able to get off of dialysis before they moved him to the Transplant floor to recover. He spent a total of 52 days in ICU. He hadn’t walked in months; was bed ridden and needed assistance to get out of bed by the “lift team.” He had to be transported from bed to chair in a sling and machined mounted to the ceiling. He had many complications, needed many medicine changes, and lots of physical therapy.
After about a month he was finally walking about 500 – 1000 feet. Finally, at the end of May, they moved him to the rehab facility. During rehab, not only did he have to strengthen his legs to be able to stand, walk and climb stairs, he also had Occupational Therapy where he worked on doing household tasks and deal with everyday life occurrences. Finally, after 108 days, he was able to go home to his wife and monster of a dog.
The LVAD connects via “drive line” though his belly and out to a controller that is connected to two batteries. At night, he is plugged into the wall. He can’t be submerged in water so no baths or swimming. (yes, he can shower but it’s a process) Every day he has to do a sterile dressing change on his exit site that comes out of his belly. He can’t do heavy lifting or really bend over at the waist due to the fluid in the body shifting. He now cycles roughly 10 miles a day and/or ruck a 5k and do 90% of the things he used to do pre surgery.
All of this happened just 3 months after he and his wife got married and it was a complete emotional rollercoaster for the first year. He is currently waiting for a heart transplant and keeping his fingers crossed that it happens by the end of this year.
During this whole experience, he became close friends with many doctors, nurses and other staff in the hospital. The hospital asked him to join the patient and family coalition and had him travel with the hospital to the state capitol to tell his story to legislators and let them know how wonderful Tampa General Hospital is. He also became a volunteer at TGH and before Covid hit, spent time calling recently discharged patients as well as meeting with families and patients (pre and post LVAD surgery) as well as transplant patients.