Funeral expenses for Gerald W. Shirley Jr.

With a heavy heart, we have to say goodbye to our beloved, Gerald Wayne Shirley Jr; or Jay to most of you. My father fell sick in February and eventually had to go to a hospital in El Paso TX, after emergency brain surgery, he went into a rehab facility for physical therapy and antibiotic treatment for a few months. He came home and was making strides in improvement with the aid of home health care. On Oct 20th, he woke up with raspy breathing sounds and was not very responsive. We called 911 with no delay and he was taken to AV Hospital in Lancaster, CA. He had pneumonia and his oxygen levels were very low.

After his first night there, he choked on secretions that got into his lungs and required a ventilator and feeding tube. His kidneys began to fail due to an infection and he became very swollen.

After days of being in the ICU and finding the correct antibiotic treatment, his pnumonia was clearing and his kidney function was improving. He was breathing on his own for the most part, the ventilator only being used when he would get tired. He was removed from any sedation and was allowed to wake up.

He was unresponsive. He wouldn't follow any verbal or physical commands, and wouldn't react to any pain stimulus. There were no more tests to be done, nothing else for us to do. The Doctor believed since his oxygen levels were so low that it caused more damage to his already healing brain. So at the advice of the Insentvist, the ventilator and feeding tube were removed and my father was placed in comfort care on the 25th.

He passed away peacefully in his sleep at 9:18 pm on October 27th.

Jay was an amazing Husband, Father, and friend. He was known as a real Dad because he could actually fix anything you brought to him. He worked hard and was driven to accomplish his dreams in life. He leaves behind his wife, Brenda Shirley, and children, Ashley, Theresa, and Gerald (Jerry).

We are trying to raise enough funds to have a proper burial/funeral. Donations of any amount are truly appreciated. Thank you for your time in reading this.