Healing Bill Birney's Heart Fund

************UPDATE on 3.11.19 ************

We have a health and general update on Bill seven months since Bill had his sudden heart attack and stroke . Bill has been slowly physically and mentally recovering from his event with every day bringing new challenges . Bill’s amnesia is still persistent , but he is getting better at remembering recent events ...only time will tell if he will be able to fully recover from the stroke  . In the meantime he has been seeing a barrage of doctors and undergoing all kinds of tests to follow up on his heart-related issues . Bill had been feeling shortness of breath and fatigue over the last couple of months , so his cardiologist scheduled him for an MRI and related tests . The doctor then performed an angiogram on Bill last week and performed an angioplasty on one artery due to blockage they found and partial blockage in others that they will be keeping an eye on . Thank God that Bill has a good cardiologist who listened to Bill’s concerns and acted on them ! So, Bill needs to continue to take it easy and recover , watch his diet , take his medications for diabetes , blood pressure, cholesterol , blood thinners , etc. , and continue physical , occupational and cognitive therapies . 

Bill has moved back into his apartment  living somewhat independently , with much help from a few friends shuttling him around on errands , and his sister Gini who has been taking him to all of his medical appointments , and being his medical patient advocate . His cousin PJ , her husband Craig , and her brother Joe have done so much for Bill over these last 7 months including having Bill stay with them  after hospital release , helping him with medical advocating , doctor’s visits , meals , you name it ! His sister-in-law (my lovely  wife) Mary Lynn has been an angel shepherding Bill through the maze of government red tape, ensuring he got insurance coverage , coordinating doctor’s appointments , and more recently helping him navigate the job search process. 

As of now Bill is not yet working , he is trying to find a job but it is very challenging when he sometimes can’t remember the basics , like “ Did  I fill out an application? Did  they call me back ? “ ...you get the idea . Bill definitely wants to work , and can work , but he cannot drive for a living anymore as he did for Lyft for years . He needs to stay somewhat close to where he lives in the Palos Verdes area as he isn’t driving these days .  If anyone knows of anyone hiring within five miles of Palos Verdes Peninsula please let Bill know ! He is a loyal , hard working , dedicated worker with a great attitude  ! 
Bill needs to find something not too physically demanding as he is recovering from his heart attack and stroke , and from the recent angioplasty . As always  , Bill would love to hear from all of his friends and family ...a visit would really make his day , but even a phone call would cheer him up ! Thanks everyone as Bill continues the road to recovery ! Keep the positive thoughts and prayers coming ❤️


************UPDATE on 11.11.11 ************
We have good news to report , Bill has been discharged from the hospital after being in there for almost three months, and is temporarily living with a family member as he starts the next phase of his recovery ! He has had ongoing physical, cognitive, and occupational therapy while he was in the hospital, and that will continue for an indefinite time as he works towards living independently one day . Thank you from our family for all of your good wishes and generous donations as Bill continues on this  journey of recovery! Please continue to call him and visit if you can, he really enjoys hearing from you!

**************ORIGINAL POST **************
On Saturday August 11, 2018, our brother Bill suffered a heart attack and stroke. He was working a TaskRabbit job painting a room in a USC student's apartment and had she not returned for her forgotten car keys, Bill would have passed away. It was also very fortunate that the student’s mother is a physician and her father is a fire fighter, so CPR was in her skillset! She was Bill’s angel that day!

Bill was taken to Dignity/California Medical Center -Los Angeles where the ER team revived him after FORTY FIVE minutes using the defibrillator paddles ...he coded twice.  His cardiology team put an intra-aortic balloon pump in his heart to allow it to heal and repair itself and return to normal function. During this time, he came down with pneumonia, most likely from aspirating something into his lungs during all those CPR chest compressions. The doctors also put a stent in one of his arteries and performed an ablation to normalize his heart rhythm. He is still in room 724 as we speak!

The effects from the stroke are more difficult to treat and will require a longer recovery time due to a significant issue with Bill’s short-term memory, referred to as amnesia. Bill will be transferred to a skilled nursing facility where he will receive cognitive and occupational therapy to hopefully improve his memory function.

Anyone who knows Bill will tell you he has many strengths: loyalty, sincerity, honesty, compassion, and he is among the most naturally funny people one will ever know.

Above all, Bill is a fighter; he does not give up on anything or anyone he believes in.  Let's join Bill's fight for complete recovery of his heart and mind.

As an aspiring actor, Bill has been working as an independent contractor with Lyft and Task Rabbit. This GoFundMe campaign will help pay his mounting medical bills, rent, car payment, and other expenses while Bill continues to recover and has time to assess his long-term prognosis.  Any donation for Bill's complete recovery is gratefully appreciated. The fund will be administered by his brother, Jim, who lives in the Seattle area.

Bill would love to see as many visitors as possible and would also appreciate the healing power of your thoughts, prayers or well wishes. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out via this website, we will try to answer as quickly as possible.

God bless you and thank you for helping Heal Bill Birney's Heart.

Sincerely, 

Bill's EIGHT siblings (he is the little baby on the table if you view our "team members" photo.