Help April's Family After Medical Crisis

I am setting up this GoFundMe page for my brother and his family. In September of 2023, his wife had a near-fatal emergency, and he has not been able to work since. They are in a very dire situation with having no income, and they really just need help until she can have her next surgery that will hopefully get things moving in the right direction for her with some time to recover. Here is their story….

My brother and his wife, April, have been married for 20 years in January, and they have 3 amazing kids.

In September of 2023, April was diagnosed with diverticulitis, a disease that causes severe inflammation in the wall of the large intestine. En route to the surgical wing, her condition was discovered to be so severe that the surgical team forwent a laparoscopy and just cut her open, trying to do as much damage control as possible. When she woke from the surgery, she was feeling breathless and in immense pain.

A few days after the initial surgery, April learned that her intestines had come completely apart. Intestinal fluids were leaking through her body, and she had no option but to receive a colostomy. April had to have another major surgery just a week later, which resulted in even more of her intestine being removed. Every single time it seemed to be fixed, the stoma fell, requiring yet another corrective surgery.

After the fourth surgery, the stoma finally stuck. However, a huge wound developed around it. As all of this was happening, my brother, her husband, was desperately trying to work and take care of their 2 boys and special needs daughter. He missed so much work taking care of everyone and everything that he was let go from his job, cutting off their only source of income.

As the wound around the stoma developed, April's kidneys started to shut down, and her heart rate spiked. April was now facing dialysis, and she had a minor heart attack, but luckily, with medications and several blood transfusions, her heart corrected itself, and her kidneys started working again. April spent over two months in various wings of the hospital, and when she was finally able to go home, a whole new problem developed. The gaping wound around her stoma had to be tended to, or else the entire process would have been rendered useless.

This resulted in April and her husband spending hours of time each day on seemingly easy tasks like trying to sit right or retaining any semblance of efficiency in her work as a wife and mother. My brother can’t hold a job while he takes care of April and their children, and this whole situation has been beyond a nightmare. Now, just over a year later, my brother is still unable to work, and they have lost their home and most of their belongings because they were unable to pay rent or any other bills. They are now temporarily living with family, and while they’re helping the best they can, the financial strain that this assistance has put on them is just too much. They are in a desperate situation and really don’t have many options right now. They could really use a miracle. While we all understand that a lot of people are struggling right now, any donations would be greatly appreciated and will help their family so much. We are all so thankful for the help that April and her family have received. Your generosity and care mean so much to us all. Anything you can do to help is beyond appreciated, whether it is a donation or sharing the link.