For Brian McGlynn's medical and funeral expenses
Hello, my name is Colleen Kachele, I am raising money to help support my sister-in-law Carmen McGlynn. My brother Brian, unexpectedly passed away on July 5, 2021, which was his 59th birthday. Brian was scheduled for bilateral hip replacements in mid April 2021. During pre-op testing doctors uncovered a congenital heart valve and other serious heart issues. As anyone can imagine this was overwhelming for someone who had never been sick or hospitalized. Brian had open-heart surgery on May 12th. It was considered a normal surgical procedure; however, various complications kept Brian in the hospital for 2 weeks. Once released Brian was looking forward to getting back to life. By June Brian started having issues with his blood pressure going too high, some Afib, a fever and an abscess. He was hospitalized and in and out of three hospitals over a 2 week timeframe.
Released on Sunday July 4th Brian called our parents to wish them a happy anniversary and tell them he was “FREE”! His wife, Carmen, said they had a good afternoon and evening together. Brian was just so happy to be home. Carmen last spoke to her husband around 12:30 AM when he took the dogs out. During the night she woke up with a sense something was wrong. Brian was not responsive. Carmen called 911 and tried CPR. EMT’s could not revive him. Brian arrived to the ER by 2:00 AM and placed on a ventilator. After several tests the doctors told us there was no brain activity. Brian was brain dead.
To make all this worse, the week before his original hip replacement surgery Brian was wrongly fired from his job for medical reasons. A job Brian had dedicated his life and health to for 32 years…only to be let go! The stress Brian was feeling would have been enormous - 1) losing your job; 2) needing to undergo open heart surgery; 3) and still having severe hip pain because that surgery was delayed due to his heart issues. Always positive and making light of his own problems, Brian never complained.
Based on Brian’s story, we are hoping that you can find it in your heart to help Carmen with the enormous medical bills just beginning to come in and help her get through this exceptionally tragic time in her life. Our goal is to raise $10,000.00, If excess , it will be donated to the most AMAZING foundation that we have had the bittersweet opportunity to work with. The NJ Sharing Network, is a foundation that assists families in saving lives through organ and tissue donation. The level of dedication and compassion from every person in the organization helped ease us through Brian’s eternal decision.
We may have said our good-byes to Brian on July 5, 2021, his 59th birthday, but his body completed his mission on July 7, 2021 with his organ donations. We know that his liver was a match for a man in the Philadelphia, PA area. He received Brian's gift of life on the evening of July 7th. Additionally, he was matched with two recipients for his kidneys. In Brian’s death he was able to save 3 people.
No more goofy faces, no more serious political conversations, no more drinks with him, no more animated story telling, no more cooking together and just hanging out around the fire. Carmen is devastated. My parents and I are devastated. All his nieces and nephews and the rest of the family and his friends are devastated. We are all shattered by the thought of him being gone. Carmen and Brian were together for 36 years. They have always been considered “one entity”. Most people cannot remember a time before it was “Brian and Carmen”.
We would love and appreciate everyone to consider donating to Carmen with all our hearts. The tragedy of death overwhelms you. The only glimmer of comfort through all of this is that Brian would be an organ donor. In his death he was able to give others life. My big brother is not only a hero to me but to three strangers who he has saved. Please consider supporting my sister-in-law, Carmen, as well as this amazing organization.
