First, I wanted to take a moment to appreciate YOU and everything you do for people like us.
(Thank you)
My name is Brandon. I'm a disabled stay-at-home dad with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), diagnosed at 15 years old through a second-year sports physical.
The nurse at Valley Medical Center happened to be the same nurse I had the year before, and she noticed my heart murmur sounded more aggressive and different than the year before.
So she decided to send me to get an EKG, and what they discovered that night when I was home alone was that I had HOCM and needed further evaluation.
So they called me that evening while I was 15 years old and home alone. At the time, all they could tell me was that "they had found something on the EKG and wanted to run further testing at Children's Hospital first thing in the morning."
So I called my mom while she was on her way home, bawling and sobbing, trying to articulate words and explain what I had been told.
She got home and called the hospital to verify the appointment.
We showed up first thing in the morning, 5:30 am, downtown Seattle.
We ran the same tests from the night before, and they came back conclusive for a LARGE amount of overgrown muscle in the bottom left chamber of my heart, also known as HOCM!
About 10 to 15 doctors came into the room and told me the life-changing news that not only I couldn't go back to playing sports, but I also had some major lifestyle changes.
I was told I had to spend two weeks hospitalized before they performed my open-heart surgery to remove some of the overgrown muscle and get my first pacemaker defibrillator.
(I was mortified but stayed positive as usual)
*It all made sense now why I wasn't keeping up in practice with everyone else and I was always struggling and exasperated*
My mom and grandma visited daily.
The day came, and my surgery was successful.
Seven years later, I needed the same surgery because my heart muscle had grown post-puberty.
At that time, the girl I was with would later become my wife and mom of two girls, but I CLEARLY didn't know that yet.
I had a hard time with this surgery, unlike the last time, because I was much older and had tons more to live for.
Rightfully so, because this surgery required the use of seven attempts to bring me back after the procedure...
I finally came back and was on the last attempt, according to the surgeons.
Moving forward, I've had some other surgeries, including appendix removal, four pacemaker defibrillator replacements, and more recently, a heart catheterization.
I can't work, and I'm on disability.
My wife is a dental assistant and is having her wages garnished due to us having our child two years ago.
Our youngest in the picture is Penelope, and when we had her, insurance told us the surgery would be mostly covered... it was not. They also said her stay in the hospital would be covered. It was not.
My wife had a C-section, and naturally, that cost is an arm and a leg out of pocket.
That labor bill went into default and into collections, and we DESPERATELY need help paying it.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
This is my first time on GoFundMe.
Organizer and beneficiary
