Help Ron’s Family Recover from a Vacation Emergency

Hi friends, family, and kind-hearted strangers. I’m reaching out to ask for support for my brother-in-law Ron, a beloved co-op homeschool science teacher, and his family.

While vacationing in Kauai to celebrate his only daughter’s high school graduation, her two close friends who also graduated, and his wife’s birthday, Ron suffered a massive heart attack that nearly took his life on Saturday, 6/14/2025.

Earlier that day, they hiked to Ho'opi'i Falls, and Ron felt winded and struggled more than usual. He figured it was just age or being out of shape. That night, he went to pick up pizza @ Wiki Pizza and collapsed without warning. His heart and breathing stopped; he literally died. A stranger, immediately started CPR and, after 25 minutes, was able to get a pulse and Ron took a breath, but was unresponsive. By the grace of God, that man saved his life.

Another kind stranger used Face ID to unlock Ron’s phone and called his daughter to let them know what happened. They were in shock and his wife had no way to get to him, Ron had their rental car. The woman offered to pick her up and bring her to the scene so she could get the car and gave her Ron's personal items she had collected. Ron's wife had no idea where they had taken him and began calling the two hospitals on the island. He was taken to a facility an hour away. When she arrived, Ron was in the ER and was already intubated and sedated and was awaiting transfer to the ICU. She spoke to him, but he was unresponsive.

The next day, Father’s Day, doctors told her he needed to be airlifted to Oahu for more advanced care. Because she had her daughter and two of her daughter’s minor friends with her, she couldn’t go with Ron. She had to book flights to send the girls home and purchase another for herself to get to Oahu. She tried to get refunds for the excursions they’d paid for in advance, but only received a small portion back.

She had been told she could stay with him in the ICU, but when she arrived, that wasn’t allowed. A kind ICU nurse helped her find last-minute lodging nearby. It wasn’t cheap, but it was the best option available.

In Oahu, tests confirmed that Ron had suffered a massive heart attack. His heart was only pumping at 15% and 15 bpm. On Tuesday, he underwent a 5-hour procedure to place four stents. Bypass surgery was too risky, his heart was in critical shape. The surgeon explained that Ron had been born with one artery that was too small to function, one that was 100% blocked, and the other was blocked 80–90%. The situation was severe, but God sustained him.

Back home, we continued to pray over them constantly. My sister-in-law was doing everything on her own with no support system nearby, just trying to hold it together, trusting God through the unknowns.

Day by day, Ron slowly began to improve. His lungs were weak, and he was confused at times due to low oxygen levels. After 7 days in ICU, he was moved to a lower level of care. Eventually, doctors diagnosed him with hospital-acquired pneumonia, which made flying home more complicated. If his oxygen levels didn’t improve, he would need a Portable Oxygen Concentrator (POC) for the flight, which would have cost over $2,600.

But again, God made a way. By Thursday, June 26, his pneumonia had cleared, he passed the flight oxygen test, and he no longer needed the POC. On Friday, June 27, he was discharged with a LifeVest (a wearable defibrillator), and they flew home, arriving early Monday morning.

Praise God, he's home now- but there’s still a long road ahead. His wife is taking time off work to care for him, help with his recovery, and figure out next steps with a cardiologist and possibly a cardiac surgeon.

This entire crisis brought on a mountain of unexpected costs- emergency flights, hotels, transportation, food, medical needs, and planned excursions they weren’t able to refund. We don't want to profit from this tragic life changing event, only to cover the unexpected expenses.

If you feel led to give, your support would mean so much. Every donation will go directly to helping their family recover and move forward. If you’re not able to give, please consider sharing this and especially lifting them up in prayer, that God continues to heal Ron completely and gives his family strength, peace, and clarity as they navigate what comes next.

Thank you for reading. We truly believe God’s hand was over every moment, from the stranger who saved his life to every single prayer that’s gone up since. We know He’s not done yet.