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I just wanted to get on before I close down this fundraiser to say THANK YOU to everyone for their love and support these past several weeks. Thank you for taking the edge off of the financial part of things. Thank you for reaching out, sending flowers, bringing meals, sharing stories, listening, and so forth. My family and I are very grateful for the kindness we’ve been shown. It has helped us tremendously as we have tried (and continue to try) to navigate our new normal.
*FINAL UPDATE*
Our beloved dad, grandpa, and husband did not make it through his surgery yesterday. We said the most painful goodbye to him last night. We had all the hope in the world that the surgery would just be the next step in helping him recover. To say that we are incredibly stunned, saddened, and confused would be the biggest understatement. We miss him so, so much. As we are trying to navigate these hard next steps without this wonderful man, we ask you to please, please continue to donate/share this fundraiser. Every cent raised will go to giving him the funeral service he deserves. Thank you all.
*UPDATE*
Our dad is scheduled for surgery today at 2pm. They are moving the ECMO machine so that it’s central—it will now be in his chest. He no longer qualifies for an LVAD because the right side of his heart is beginning to fail. From what we are understanding, he will need to stay in the hospital until he receives a transplant. Originally, they were planning on letting him go home to wait for the transplant (once he received the LVAD). Now that the LVAD is no longer possible, he will have to stay here. The positive part of having the ECMO moved is that he should become a little more mobile. We are also hoping this will make him a little more comfortable. It should also make him more stable so that is can be eligible for a transplant. We are praying that all goes well today. We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and support we’ve received. Thank you.
We are doing this on behalf of our dad and stepmom. They have endured some big challenges this year, but the biggest challenge came at 4 am on Friday, October 27th, when our dad suffered a massive heart attack in his sleep. He was rushed by ambulance to McKay-Dee Hospital. He received an Impella pump there but it was ultimately determined that the support staff he required would have to be elsewhere. He was then transported to the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, which is approximately 45 minutes away. Once he arrived there, it was determined that the Impella pump couldn’t give our dad the help he needed on its own. The doctors concluded that he needed to be put on a life support system, also know as ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). He has been sedated and intubated on and off, has had nurses and doctors constantly in and out of his room, and is on 24-hour-a-day dialysis due to failing kidneys. It is unbelievably hard to understand how he went from being fine to being this sick. They have determined that he will need an LVAD (left ventricular assist device) in the near future (once his kidneys have had time to heal/pending healthy kidneys). The final goal at this point is for him to receive a heart transplant. The doctors do not believe there is any other option for him if he is going to survive this situation. This is still something that all of us are attempting to process. The last conversation I had with him before the heart attack was in regards to a silly recipe. None of us can wrap our heads around this sudden chaos, confusion, and extreme sadness. The last week has been an intense rollercoaster of emotions. For the first five days we truly did not know if he was going to pull through and it was devastating. Each day we try to look for small, positive things. He was extubated for the second time yesterday and that was the first time that we truly saw a small glimmer of hope. Even so, there is a really long road ahead. Some major lifestyle changes are going to have to be made. We do not know if that will include his living situation at this point but it’s completely possible. He will need a lot of care, will be at a big risk for infections, and his entire diet will change. Schedules with family members are going to need to be adjusted, our stepmom is going to have to take a leave of absence from work, and we are scrambling to figure out how all of this is going to be possible.
With all this being said, our dad has been job hunting for almost the last year. He has been incredibly stressed about finding work. With funds already tight, we have no idea how long he’ll need to be hospitalized, but we do know his stay isn’t going to be a short one. He will also need physical therapy once this current battle is fought. Our dad is a good guy. He loves maple donuts, movies and football, he spoils his two cats rotten, he enjoys being around his family and grandkids (they always know Grandpa will supply them with plenty of sugar and goodies), and there have been more times than I could possibly count where I have seen him not think twice about giving to charity. We love our dad and know that he deserves to not have to be concerned about his medical expenses. We want to see if we can at least help ease the burden of their deductible and a very small portion of what their medical financial responsibility is becoming. Please help us help him. Thank you all.
If anyone would feel more comfortable donating directly to our dad’s Venmo, here is the link:
@tonyritchie
(it’s a picture of our dad, Tony, and his wife, Paula).
*If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out.
*FINAL UPDATE*
Our beloved dad, grandpa, and husband did not make it through his surgery yesterday. We said the most painful goodbye to him last night. We had all the hope in the world that the surgery would just be the next step in helping him recover. To say that we are incredibly stunned, saddened, and confused would be the biggest understatement. We miss him so, so much. As we are trying to navigate these hard next steps without this wonderful man, we ask you to please, please continue to donate/share this fundraiser. Every cent raised will go to giving him the funeral service he deserves. Thank you all.
*UPDATE*
Our dad is scheduled for surgery today at 2pm. They are moving the ECMO machine so that it’s central—it will now be in his chest. He no longer qualifies for an LVAD because the right side of his heart is beginning to fail. From what we are understanding, he will need to stay in the hospital until he receives a transplant. Originally, they were planning on letting him go home to wait for the transplant (once he received the LVAD). Now that the LVAD is no longer possible, he will have to stay here. The positive part of having the ECMO moved is that he should become a little more mobile. We are also hoping this will make him a little more comfortable. It should also make him more stable so that is can be eligible for a transplant. We are praying that all goes well today. We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and support we’ve received. Thank you.
We are doing this on behalf of our dad and stepmom. They have endured some big challenges this year, but the biggest challenge came at 4 am on Friday, October 27th, when our dad suffered a massive heart attack in his sleep. He was rushed by ambulance to McKay-Dee Hospital. He received an Impella pump there but it was ultimately determined that the support staff he required would have to be elsewhere. He was then transported to the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, which is approximately 45 minutes away. Once he arrived there, it was determined that the Impella pump couldn’t give our dad the help he needed on its own. The doctors concluded that he needed to be put on a life support system, also know as ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). He has been sedated and intubated on and off, has had nurses and doctors constantly in and out of his room, and is on 24-hour-a-day dialysis due to failing kidneys. It is unbelievably hard to understand how he went from being fine to being this sick. They have determined that he will need an LVAD (left ventricular assist device) in the near future (once his kidneys have had time to heal/pending healthy kidneys). The final goal at this point is for him to receive a heart transplant. The doctors do not believe there is any other option for him if he is going to survive this situation. This is still something that all of us are attempting to process. The last conversation I had with him before the heart attack was in regards to a silly recipe. None of us can wrap our heads around this sudden chaos, confusion, and extreme sadness. The last week has been an intense rollercoaster of emotions. For the first five days we truly did not know if he was going to pull through and it was devastating. Each day we try to look for small, positive things. He was extubated for the second time yesterday and that was the first time that we truly saw a small glimmer of hope. Even so, there is a really long road ahead. Some major lifestyle changes are going to have to be made. We do not know if that will include his living situation at this point but it’s completely possible. He will need a lot of care, will be at a big risk for infections, and his entire diet will change. Schedules with family members are going to need to be adjusted, our stepmom is going to have to take a leave of absence from work, and we are scrambling to figure out how all of this is going to be possible.
With all this being said, our dad has been job hunting for almost the last year. He has been incredibly stressed about finding work. With funds already tight, we have no idea how long he’ll need to be hospitalized, but we do know his stay isn’t going to be a short one. He will also need physical therapy once this current battle is fought. Our dad is a good guy. He loves maple donuts, movies and football, he spoils his two cats rotten, he enjoys being around his family and grandkids (they always know Grandpa will supply them with plenty of sugar and goodies), and there have been more times than I could possibly count where I have seen him not think twice about giving to charity. We love our dad and know that he deserves to not have to be concerned about his medical expenses. We want to see if we can at least help ease the burden of their deductible and a very small portion of what their medical financial responsibility is becoming. Please help us help him. Thank you all.
If anyone would feel more comfortable donating directly to our dad’s Venmo, here is the link:
@tonyritchie
(it’s a picture of our dad, Tony, and his wife, Paula).
*If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out.