Help "Speed Up" Jimmy's Recovery

Dear Friends,

My name is Dan Kwon and I've started this gofundme on behalf of our friend, Jimmy Cho. I met him the way most of us did, playing pickleball, the sport Jimmy loves most. He is an integral part of our pickleball community, so whether you know him as a competitor, coach or Uncle Jimmy, he could use our help now. Please consider contributing in support of Jimmy Cho & his family - wife Heather, and children Eunice, Janice & Noah.

On Saturday May 10, Jimmy had a heart attack and was quickly rushed to the hospital where doctors inserted an intravenous stent (angioplasty). He was released from the hospital and was cleared to resume light activity after a few days, and then a return to full activity after a few weeks.

A month later, on Saturday June 14, Jimmy suffered a massive heart attack while on the pickleball court. He did not have a pulse or heartbeat as he underwent CPR for 50 minutes. Miraculously, he was revived then underwent a septuple (7) bypass open heart surgery. Post surgery, Jimmy had been in the ICU, exhibiting severe lack of cognitive function and memory loss. At this point, the doctors were unsure if he would recover at all.

Over the next week, Jimmy's recovery was uneven. There would be a day with positive signs of improvement followed by a day where he would regress. Thankfully, little by little his alertness and memory improved. Eventually, by Sunday June 22 he was finally able to have sustained conversations with nearly full memory restored. On Monday June 23, Jimmy was transferred out of the ICU to the step-down unit. Over the next few days he underwent speech and physical therapy treatments and in true Jimmy fashion, literally flung (well, tried to throw) the walker aside in favor of being assisted by the therapists! Jimmy has shown remarkable signs of improvement, giving his family and friends renewed hope for his recovery.

Jimmy's journey is far from over. He will soon begin the next phase of his fight: intensive rehabilitation and long-term treatment. He will need to surmount serious physical and cognitive injuries before he can hit the courts with us again. Though the road ahead is expected to be long, Jimmy's strength and the outpouring of love from family, friends and the medical professionals give us hope.

While Jimmy is warm and open to all, he is also intensely private and tends to share little about his personal life. Though we have all spent many enjoyable hours with him playing pickleball (admittedly often enduring the constant lobs, speed ups and grunts) or grabbing a "meal" (i.e. beer), he doesn't divulge a lot. So I wanted to share a few things about our friend you may not know. Jimmy serves all of us and our country as a Staff Sergeant in the US Army. He has done so for 9 years and prior to that he served in the US Navy for 8 years. His eldest daughter, Eunice, is completing her senior year in college and is providing around the clock care. Jimmy's middle daughter, Janice, will be beginning her junior year of college in the fall and is picking up FT work. His youngest son, Noah, is a senior in high school and is taking on family responsibilities at home. All of the kids are contributing while navigating school so Heather can continue FT work. Jimmy is the primary financial provider for this beautiful family and is facing an emotionally and financially challenging road ahead.

Jimmy is a large part of our community. He is an amazing player who is generous with his time. He has coached so many of us, officially and unofficially, offering his wisdom and encouragement. Anyone who knows him knows of his strength and kindness. In sum, this person who has helped hundreds of people now needs our help.

I created this gofundme to humbly ask for your support to help ease the growing financial burden. Any donation counts, no matter how small. All donations will go directly to Jimmy for medical expenses, rehabilitation, specialized equipment, travel and lodging costs, time away from work, and the daily needs of supporting his recovery. Most importantly, it gives us a way to rally around a person that means so much to many of us.

If you are unable to give, I kindly ask that you keep Jimmy and his family in your thoughts and prayers and to please share this campaign to help reach others who know Jimmy and may be able to support.

My sincerest thanks and gratitude for standing by Jimmy and his family during this unimaginable time. Your kindness and love means more than words can express.