On December 30, 2020, my dad, Vic, started having chest pains, left arm pain, and palpitations. My mom rushed him to the hospital in Harlan where they found out he was in supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), a potentially life-threatening heart rhythm. He was given two doses of a medication call Adenosine that is used specifically to treat SVT, but neither dose was effective. My dad then had to have a cardioversion, which is an electrical shock is used to "reset" the heart back to it's normal rhythm (like you see in movies when someone has a cardiac arrest). The cardioversion worked, but he still required a higher level care, so he was transferred to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs via ambulance. Once he arrived at Jennie Ed, he was directly admitted to their cardiac floor. He had numerous tests and procedures completed during his hospital stay. Because of his 
irregular heart rhythm, he has to have an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placed. This device is placed just under the skin in the left upper chest similar to how a pacemaker is placed. It works by reading dad's heart rhythm, and responding to anything irregular. If an irregular rhythm is detected, the ICD will shock his heart (like the cardioversion) in an effort to restore a normal rhythm. 

My biggest concern for my parents is that they are going to struggle financially after all of this because my dad is a trucker and will lose his CDL once he gets the ICD placed. His illness is too unpredictable for him to be out on the roads in a semi. My dad's trucking is my parents' main source of income. He is in the process of applying for disability, but we all know how long that will likely take to get processed.. Donating towards this fundraiser will take some weight off both of my parents' shoulders. My dad is really struggling with his pride right now with not 
being able to contribute financially, and my mom is struggling wondering how they are going to survive on only her income. Every single dollar counts. If every one of my Facebook friends donated just $1, this would give my parents approximately $1,500 to work with. My dad never asks for much.. in fact, he is probably feeling really uncomfortable knowing I am asking on his behalf. If you are able to spare any amount, I will be unimaginably thankful, as will my parents. All donations will be given to my parents to aid with medical bills, lost income, and other medical needs.

We will also be hosting a drive-through spaghetti benefit on 1/30/21 in Oakland, Iowa at the Community Building. For $10, you will receive spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, and a side salad with ranch. All proceeds will be given to my parents. You will also be able to contribute towards a "half of the pot" drawing. Every $10 donation will get you one ticket in the drawing. At the end of the day, a name will be drawn, and the winner will get half of the pot. The remaining half will be given to my parents.

If you've gotten this far, thank you for reading this and considering donating.

**Please note, all GoFundMe donations will be given to my parents in the full amount. If you want your donation to be put towards the “half the pot” drawing, please let me know