Help Save Bill: Emergency Open Heart Surgery & Recovery

A Second Chance for Bill — Help Our Family

On the morning of March 8 — our son Billy’s 19th birthday — our lives changed forever.

My name is Suzie Fernandez. I am a 6th grade math teacher at Newport Middle School. My husband, Bill, and I have been married for nearly 25 years, and together we have two amazing children, Billy (19) and Lily (17).

That Sunday morning, Bill and I were sitting in the living room when he suddenly turned to me and said, “Something’s not right.” Moments later, he collapsed.

I pulled him to the floor and immediately began CPR while our children called 911 and watched for the paramedics to arrive. Bill had no pulse and was not breathing.

When the paramedics arrived, they worked on him for what felt like an eternity — about 20–30 minutes. They used an incredible device called a Lucas Machine, which performed continuous CPR while they worked to save his life. They shocked his heart five times before finally getting a pulse and restoring his breathing.

We will be forever grateful to the first responders who refused to give up on him.

Bill was rushed to the local hospital and then airlifted to ECU Health in Greenville. The kids and I drove there not knowing what we would find, terrified because he had gone so long without breathing on his own.

Then a miracle happened.

When we arrived, the breathing tube had been removed. Bill was awake, breathing on his own, and talking to us.

After many tests, we hoped the problem would be one blocked artery that could be treated with a stent. Instead, doctors told us Bill needs triple bypass open heart surgery.

Right now he continues to have episodes where his heart rate and blood pressure skyrocket, and doctors are closely monitoring him. He is also in tremendous pain because CPR saved his life but caused at least five broken ribs, in addition to the damage to his heart.

Bill is scheduled for open heart surgery on March 16 — the day before our daughter Lily’s 17th birthday.

We are incredibly thankful that Bill survived and that we have more time with him. But the road ahead will be long and difficult.

Recovery from open heart surgery is painful and takes months. Bill will require rehabilitation, frequent doctor visits in Greenville, and constant care. He will not be allowed to drive for at least a month and will not be able to push, pull, or lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk for 2–3 months. Because of this, he will not be able to work for several months.

I will be his primary caregiver while also trying to support our family financially.

The hospital is an hour and a half from our home, and I am currently staying here with him so I can advocate for his care. I am quickly running out of sick days at work, which means my paycheck will soon be reduced and eventually may stop while I take time off to help Bill recover.

We are asking for help with:

• medical bills and hospital expenses

• copays and rehabilitation costs

• travel back and forth to Greenville

• everyday living expenses while Bill cannot work

If you are able to donate, any amount will help our family during this incredibly difficult time.

If you are not able to give, we would deeply appreciate your prayers for a successful surgery and recovery and for you to share this page with others.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for supporting Bill and our family during the hardest moment of our lives.

— Suzie, Bill, Billy, and Lily Fernandez