Hi, my name is Cyndi, and I am fundraising for Warren Wakeland. Many of you know Warren from his localized work with the Moore County Home Builders in NC, The Builder's Exchange Association and HBA in Virginia, and many other organizations across the US. He is currently employed with the NC Realtors Association as the Director of Field Advocacy, however, he works/ed from home in Pinehurst, NC.

Here is the abbreviated version of why Warren needs our help:

On August 14, Warren had a heart attack. The next night while in the hospital, he had another heart attack known as the "Widow Maker,” yet he survived. What has followed has been nothing short of a miracle in the making.

A week later I received a call that Warren was extremely sick. He had become very ill with a blood disorder (MRSA) from a tube inserted into his artery. Warren stayed in the Reid Heart Center of Moore County for seven weeks before being cleared to leave for a rehab center. He had been shuffled from floor to floor due to various complications in the meantime, complicating his recovery.

On October 14, Warren had another major setback. He awoke with chest pain while in rehab, rushed to First Health and admitted back to Reid Heart Center. He was diagnosed with a Pulmonary Embolism in his lungs and Gall Bladder disease. He was not a candidate for surgery due to his heart. Instead, he received an IVC filter to catch the blood clots and medication to bring the liver enzymes down to relieve the pain in his stomach, side, and chest.

Two weeks later he was moved back to the rehab facility but continued to get worse. The doctors made the hard decision to remove his gall bladder on December 7th. Unfortunately, his insurance was now denying his rehab because he had been unable to participate in physical therapy due to his distress and was not capable of meeting the insurance criteria. He went to self-pay as of November 23rd.

Warren stayed in the hospital until December 22nd due to his insurance's continued denial of care. At that point we had him transferred to a different rehab facility via self pay in the area where he is now thriving and getting stronger each day.

Sadly, his savings is depleted, and his insurance is still denying his claims. Appeals have been made by doctors, facilities, and even myself, but at this point we have no choice other than to ask for help.

I set up this fundraiser to cover more than one month for physical therapy and rehab, but I know that he needs much, much more than that. He will also need a healthcare attorney for multiple reasons after he is able to go home. We are predicting at least another 6-8 weeks in the facility and then home so he can begin working again.

The facility costs alone is $10,500 per month and then there is the added cost of physical therapy.

He is very optimistic and grateful for each new day he has been given. Every new doctor that meets him after reviewing his medical records asks the same question, "How are you still alive?" Let's come together and help him find out why.