Goal Reached! David's Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Recovery Costs

On June 21, 2022, David was found unconscious at the airport after landing in Jakarta, Indonesia, after a long flight from California to Indonesia to be with his wife, Dewi Fonna, to celebrate their 7th wedding anniversary after being apart for 3 years due to travel restrictions, COVID lock down and travel bans.

When David got off the plane, before he and Dewi could reunite at the arrival gate, David suffered a catastrophic combination of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) brain bleed, stroke, heart stunning/damage, CO2 filled lungs, pneumonia subsequent organ failure and coma.

David's sisters, Gerae and Penny, started this Go Fund Me campaign to raise money for the medical expenses of his hospital care and recovery, to help ease the tremendous financial burden that has been placed upon Dewi and David.

We've estimated the cost of daily hospital ICU, specialty services, ambulance transfers, room, and physical therapy and post-release medical care. We've been able to lower the estimate due to the amazing (as his doctor says, "Golden Miracle!") recovery progress!

We hope to raise enough funds to completely cover the medical bills and related expenses, as they also have to grapple with David not being able to work.

Friends and family can tell countless stories of when we were in need, how David--even when he did not have his own needs met--worked extra long hours to earn income that he quietly gave away to those he felt were hurting more than he. He is generous to the poor, goes the extra mile and has been a loving brother, husband, son and friend.

David's Situation, as of June 20 and 21:

Before he was found unconscious, David texted Dewi at the arrival gate, and Gerae at her home in Iowa to say he was being delayed by Immigration agents at the Jakarta airport. He texted to say he had been wearing a mask for 14 hours and was having trouble breathing, was dizzy and had chest pain. Then all communication stopped. Neither Dewi nor Gerae could reach David by text or phone call.

 

After 2 hours, an airport agent finally answered one of our frantic calls to David’s cell phone. (From Gerae): I'm not bilingual, but the agent did the best he could to tell me that "David very bad," "very bad condition," no awake," "no able talk." The agent was able to understand that I was David's sister in USA, that David's wife Dewi was at the arrival gate and would call him now.

Dewi then called David's phone right away. Dewi was reunited with David -- for the first time in more than 3 years -- who was unconscious and unresponsive in ambulance with her, headed to the closest hospital.

 

David was in a coma, not breathing on his own. He was placed on life support, ventilator, tubes, all of it.

Hours later, tests and images indicated David had a thin brain bleed stroke (subarachnoid hemorrhage SAH) in the middle of the parietal lobe, which processes language, math, learning new information, depth perception, coordination, and recognizing or differentiating objects, basically a lot of David's greatest strengths...

 

Without complications, he had a low chance of survival, based on how long he was without sufficient emergency medical help. And to reduce his survival rate to the NEGATIVE percentages, he had multiple complications, of which each one was a death or severe disability sentence.

He had massive levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and fluid filled his lungs, along with a severe active infection / pneumonia. His heart was damaged from inadequate blood flow and oxygen–which launched kidney and organ failure. White blood cell count, trochinin / heart protein levels, blood gas PH, glucose levels, etc., were off the charts; many levels were four times out of range. It was all bad news.

We banded together to pray and asked everyone we knew, around the world, hundreds of people praying for God to heal and help David!

 

Day 3

Worst 3 days ever. Surreal. A nightmare . Then it got worse. ICU doctor said that David's body was not responding to treatments or medication. Then, during that discussion, the infection suddenly went rampant, spreading throughout his body. Nothing was helping as his body was overrun with bacteria at the worst time of his life. They said, "It's over" and told us to prepare for the loss of our beloved David, to say our goodbyes. Incomprehensible. No words for this.

The medical reports disallowed us the false comfort of denial. They said treatment would only draw out the process of dying. David had made his feelings clear in the past, against living “life” on a ventilator/feeding tubes. 

But the doctor suggested the insertion of a central venous catheter (CVC) in veins in the neck/throat. Basically the "last straw." His blood pressure was 71/45, oxygen 51, his organs were failing. The decision was made to insert the CVC but to sign documents regarding the limited treatment, as the doctor said David might only survive on a ventilator for a few months, severely incapacitated. 

 

Day 4

David remained unconscious/unresponsive We were told his heart would be failing -- either right away or within a couple hours. We prayed and cried, we didn't want him to suffer! We prayed and talked to Dad and Inge, Dewi's mom, my sister Penny, Dewi's brother. We knew David would journey on to his next divine adventure in peace, beyond pain, beyond this life and it would be cruel to sentence him to such pain in this condition. But losing David this way was beyond comprehension, surreal and indescribably devastating...no words...

Our families and friends in the US, Indonesia and worldwide were praying. We tried our best to be brave. We told him how proud we were of him, how much he made this world a better place, how immeasurably we loved him and said “until we see you again” because we believe in the eternal life of our spirit from our All-Knowing-Creator. We can NEVER convey the excruciating, unfathomable pain of hearing, “It’s over. Now we wait for his heart to go silent.” This horrific pain cannot be verbalized.

 

Family, friends and even people we’d never met were praying for us. The village of Banda Aceh, 2,500 km away, where Dewi’s family lives, gathered to pray and prepare for David's funeral and resting place. David always planned, same as Gerae, for Rosecrans Point Loma to be where we say goodbye to Earth, but now, we knew that David should be forever with his beloved Dewi, his precious wife.

We prayed for the miracle of David opening his eyes, even just once, even if it woukd just a simple muscle reflex, a gift of love from her David, for his precious wife to say goodbye, having not seen his eyes in person for so long. We asked God for this gift of mercy...

After we said "goodbye for now" on video together, several of the worst hours of our lives went by, in profound grief and agony. But David’s heart kept beating...

And then, suddenly David opened one eye. Then again, both eyes half open.

 

No other signs, no focus, no other movement.

 

Then he opened them again on request, and again. We have the video! Dewi got to see her husband’s beautiful eyes. We went wild and said prayers of thanks–and tried so very hard not to make more of it than this.

And suddenly, his blood pressure reading was NORMAL!! What was happening!!??!! Texting, calls, scrambling to try to interpret the monitors, calling for the nurse!

Everyone was confused and stunned.

 

This Jakarta private hospital responded by demanding another $2,000 cash up front for the day, since David was still "there."

After emptying savings, maxing credit cards, and borrowing from and receiving love gifts from family and friends in Indonesia and the US, if this hospital had it's way, now David would be discharged in a coma and rolled to a common ward to pass away without medical care. The thought of them doing this to my brother made me want to bring the sky down upon them!! I don't have a temper issue, but only God could help them if they had done that to my Brother...  

 

There were more affordable government within driving distance, but none with an available bed in ICU. The search had begun for this on the first day he was in the private hospital, as Dewi had remembered she had a good friend whose husband is a doctor in Medan. Their daughter attends the school of which Dewi is the principal. She had asked him to help find a bed for David in ICU at a more affordable hospital. But even if a bed was found, getting an ambulance to pick up would typically take hours.

So we prayed! So many people on both sides of the world were praying for the whole situation, despite everything seeming hopeless. 

 

When David’s blood pressure suddenly normalized to 110/80, we knew that, without antibiotics, the infection could rapidly become massive, so we had the antibiotic treatment restarted immediately to give us time to figure out what was happening ro David, and what to do.

 

And before the private hospital had the chance to do the unthinkable "discharge" plan, Dewi got a call to say the doctor friend in Medan found a bed at an affordable hospital within an hour’s drive and was sending an ambulance for them! God had His own plan!!

Dewi called Gerae right away, and even before she finished telling Gerae that an affordable hospital bed was found, the ambulance showed up LIKE A BOSS and started loading David up immediately! Dewi had to hang up and jump in the ambulance!

It wasn't the miracle we wanted, we wanted David awake and well! But it was a beautiful and generous gift on David's and our darkest day. 

David was not expected to survive the transfer, and two times during the ride, he didn’t…but those angels in EMT uniforms brought him back twice.

 

“God needs only to say “BE,” and it is.” “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?”

 

As soon as David was rolled into the wonderful St. Elizabeth Hospital in Bekasi and in the angel arms of this outstanding medical team, David opened his eyes again! But THIS TIME, he was also responsive, trying to speak! This was beyond all joy!! Dewi called Gerae right away on video chat.

We didn't know what was going on in him, if he was coming back or going away. Seeing David trying to open his eyes under the bright lights, and moving his lips was the most beautiful thing ever...

Penny had shared her thoughts earlier that day, about knowing that David would do anything to keep from hurting his loved ones, even try to struggle to live out his years in pain on a ventilator if he saw the agony in our eyes at the thought of losing him. And how he might try to hang on in agony to keep US from suffering!

So Gerae asked David, “Brother, are you in pain?” He slowly whispered, “Yes.” “David, we love so much, we will do whatever you need, we're here with you. Do you want all the tubes and wires back in? Do you want the doctors to try to keep you alive? To give you lifesaving treatment?” He nodded (!) very distinctly and said, “Yes…I DO…” then he slid his arm over to touch Dewi’s hand next to him!

 

The ER staff was stunned, you could see it even behind their masks! Their eyes were SHINING wide open; we were all laughing out loud with joy! GO! GO! GO! Tubes, wires, machines, monitors!! Do whatever it takes! It's a MIRACLE!!

 

Day 4

David needs our help. He needs a miracle of science and healing and financial assistance to help pay the medical bills to aid in his recovery.

 

Please keep David and Dewi in your hearts and prayers during this difficult time. If you cannot donate monetarily, we greatly appreciate any thoughts, prayers, words of hope, support and encouragement for David!

 

We will post updates daily, hoping and expecting good news. Please check out the updates and click on thumbnails to view the full photos. Thank you!

 

In deepest gratitude,

David’s Family

David is kind, respectful, giving, sacrificial, hugely intelligent, hard-working, adventurous, faithful, deeply spiritual, forgiving, sincere and never gives up! He usually has incredible immunities and is very strong and fit, climbing 50’ ladders, several flights of stairs with concrete blocks on his shoulders, balancing on slanted roofs, and crawling through the tightest spaces of mansions, yachts, and skyscrapers. He has been one of San Diego’s PREMIER installation experts for indoor/outdoor audio/video, satellite, home theater, and security camera systems–he frequently works on jobs for the Navy stealth ships and Seal Team Base in Coronado, CA. Many clients trust him entirely and ask for him specifically. David is famous for his signature style – leaving wherever he goes in better condition than when he arrived!

 

#miracleman #keajaibanterjadi

 

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