Help Mark Walton's Emergency Open-Heart Surgery

Hello All. My name is Bob Walton and I am fundraising for my younger brother Mark Walton. Mark's story began when our biological father and mother decided to give Mark, our siblings and myself up as they no longer wanted to care for us. My older brother and myself were placed in an orphanage; while Mark and our baby sister, Terry, were placed in separate foster care. After a few years, a vivacious minister and his wife took us all in so we could be together and eventually adopted all four of us --even while raising four of their biological children and other foster children. Our adopted loving father has since passed away, but his valuable lessons guide us every day. He was adamant that we work hard, be kind, and help others when able to.

Mark, a loving father and husband, is a hard-working truck driver who worked throughout the entire COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the years of hard work have taken a toll on his body and in late September 2022 he was informed he needed surgery for a left shoulder replacement and surgery to repair a labrum tear on his right shoulder.

After recovering from the shoulder replacement surgery, he proceeded with the process to get the labrum tear repaired. However, once the surgeon saw the inside of his right shoulder, he determined that Mark required a right shoulder replacement as well.

In December 2022, during the surgery work-up for the right shoulder replacement, the doctors found a heart murmur. He was told that once the right shoulder replacement was completed and he recuperated they would evaluate the cause of the heart murmur. Just this week, February 16, 2023, the specialists have determined that he has a significant descending aorta aneurysm 6 cm in diameter instead of 3 cm (twice the normal diameter) and are scheduling surgery immediately.

Mark and his wife, Jamie, a registered nurse (RN), live in a multi-generational family setting that includes three grandchildren and one of whom was also adopted. Mark has lost 40% of his wages since September 2022, and already has substantial debt from the two previous surgeries. Because the emergency open-heart surgery is scheduled in 2023 he now has to meet his out-of-pocket costs again along with the co-pays. As can be expected, he does not know how he will be able to cover last year's medical expenses and now the open-heart surgery medical expenses. And he will continue to miss more time off work as well as his wife, Jaimie.

He is a proud family man that has never asked for help for anything even now but hearing the concern and crackling in his voice --not about his health problems but how he will be able to care for his family has led me to plead for your help and generosity to help make a difference in this beautiful family's life.

Please join me in this effort and thank you for taking the time to read Mark's story.

Sincerely,

Bob Walton