Sudden Darkness: Help Bruce May with Medical Expenses

Hello, my name is Avery May and my dad is Bruce May. On Monday, March 3, 2025, I received a call from my dad's fiancée, Mary, that my dad was transported to Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) via ambulance after being disoriented and with a blood sugar of 300. Once the ambulance arrived 30 minutes later, his blood sugar was in the 600s. My dad has had type 1.5 diabetes, or Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults, since he was 37. He has experienced the highs and lows of blood sugar, but never to this extent. As a result of his blood sugar and other factors from being sick with the flu for 3 weeks, he went into Diabetic Ketoacidosis and a diabetic coma.

While at the hospital, he experienced a cardiac event where life-saving measures were performed for the 4 minutes his heart stopped; thankfully, they were able to revive him.

Upon arrival at NVRH, my dad received care and was pumped with fluids to assist in stabilizing him. Due to my dad needing more care than the hospital could provide, he was medevaced, or life-flighted, over 70 miles to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont. He was placed in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) on Monday. After a Swan-Ganz catheterization procedure, the cardiac team found partial blockages in his heart, where 2 stents were placed. He will need one more placed in about a month to address one last partial blockage. After being in the MICU since Monday, he finally awoke Wednesday, March 5th, to find that he had lost his vision. After MRIs and scans with and without contrast, my dad was informed, by himself, that he has Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (ION), likely as a result of the lack of blood flow to the optic nerve during the cardiac event. Despite the doctor's negative outlook and disclosure without family, we fought for him to receive steroids to reduce potential inflammation in the optic nerve. He is still in the hospital awaiting discharge at this time.

As you can imagine, this is completely life-altering. We can only imagine how expensive his medical bills will be, in addition to the expense of services he will need post-discharge and to make his space adaptable for him. We are looking into all possible options to aid in restoring his vision. I am asking for donations that will go directly to my dad for these medical bills and related expenses.

I am also asking for positive thoughts, words, and prayers for my dad during this time, as they keep his spirits up. We greatly appreciate any support you can give.

My dad absolutely loves life and has so much more life to live. I appreciate you taking the time to read his story.