Over the last 2 years, Rich has spent more than 90 days hospitalized in order to treat multiple serious conditions caused by diabetes (LADA), osteomyelitis, and peripheral artery disease. He has had more than two dozen procedures performed, endured countless complications and setbacks, been hospitalized and treated multiple times for life-threatening infections, had amputations performed on both feet, and additional revisional amputations performed on both feet due to surgical errors and delays in treatment that resulted in non-healing surgical wounds on both sides.

Unfortunately, while Rich was admitted to the hospital last month for a revisional left-side amputation, we learned that due to significant tissue loss to his right foot, his right foot cannot be saved and he will have to undergo a below-the-knee amputation in the next few weeks.

While we have been able to cover much of Rich’s care so far (with the exception of the million+ in hospital bills), we are self-employed and uninsured, and fall into the coverage gap in a non-expansion state. It has been a struggle and we have completely wiped out our savings getting Rich the care that he requires. This has been especially true over the last few months as our work in construction, which currently supports our family of seven, has come to a near halt.

At this time, Rich requires ongoing medical care by a team of physicians until the current revisional amputation that took most of his left foot has healed, and until he recovers from his upcoming right leg amputation. We are asking for help to cover the costs of this medical care, the cost of the physical therapy that he requires, the cost of a visiting wound care nurse, a wheelchair, and a bit of relief covering our household expenses until we can get back to work.

If you know Rich, you know his heart. He always greets you with a smile and a corny joke. He is a generous soul who’d give anyone the shirt off his back and he has handled this whole situation with as much humor and grace as anyone could be expected to. Rich is a deeply caring and devoted family man, and he has sadly missed out on so much over these last 2 years. He missed the birth of his first grandchild and her first birthday due to extensive hospital stays. He’s missed countless family celebrations and holidays. Most lamentably, due to a protracted and intensely painful recovery process, he has missed so much precious time he could have spent just spoiling his grandbaby and watching her grow.

It is very difficult to ask for help, but we all just want him well again, and want to make this entire process as stress-free as possible so he can focus all of his energy on recovery. Any help you could give, even just passing this campaign along, would be such an enormous gift to us at this moment.