Honoring Dad: Help Settle Final Expenses

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024, can only be described as a day I will never forget. Working night shift always makes my sleep schedule completely outside of the norm, which often caused Dad to come physically wake me up or blow my cell phone up until I finally rolled out of bed. On this day in particular, Dad had a scheduled follow-up doctor appointment with his primary care physician after a week-long stay in the hospital (explained in detail later).

I woke up at 2:00 pm in a panic as Dad's appointment was scheduled for 11:00 am. I immediately checked my phone and discovered I had no missed calls, no texts, the dogs never barked, and it was eerily quiet in the house. I went outside to check the garage, where Dad was often hanging out listening to his music or tinkering with various items. No one was inside and his bicycle was still present. Strange, I thought to myself. I went to Dad's bedroom and found it unlocked, even stranger. Once inside I discovered Dad peacefully had left this Earth the night before, wearing the same clothes as the night before, at the young age of 55.

Shortly after Christmas 2023, Dad had been complaining for days of what he believed to be acid reflux. Dad was a stubborn man and would not take my advice of making a doctor appointment to check him out. On December 27th, I had awaken to find Dad on the couch visibly ill from whatever was affecting him. Dad attempted to speak with me but his words were jumbled and made no sense. Dad was eventually able to utter the words that a cousin of ours, Chad, had passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. Dad and Chad were very close and he was not taking the news very well. Dad believed the news of Chad's passing had just made him upset and told me he just wanted to sleep. I advised Dad to go lay down and I would check on him later in the day. After consulting with many family members, I decided it was going to be best to force Dad to the doctor to make sure everything was okay. I went to Dad's room and his condition had worsened. His speech was incoherent and he appeared very confused, signs of what I perceived as a possible stroke perhaps. I contacted emergency services who arrived and transported Dad to Blessing Hospital in Quincy, IL. At Blessing Hospital, there was no shortage of bad news awaiting us. The doctors had determined Dad was going through septic shock and his blood was poisoned due to a lack of oxygenated blood flowing through him. Doctors ordered a battery of tests including an ECG, CAT scans, bloodwork, the works. The ultimate diagnosis was that Dad was severely dehydrated, his kidneys were failing, and he had suffered mild heart damage as a result of the sepsis. After several days in the hospital, Dad had come back around and was his normal self, enough to be discharged and sent back home with plans to follow up with his primary care physician and a cardiologist. Unfortunately, he never made it to those appointments.

When I received Dad's autopsy results, I discovered that Dad's heart was working off of one artery that was only functioning at 50% as the remaining arteries were 90-99% blocked. Upon hearing the news, the anger I felt towards Blessing Hospital has not subsided due to their absolute negligence in caring for Dad. Dad's untimely passing has put significant burden on my family as Dad had no life insurance or income outside of his Social Security Disability. I have been my Dad's primary caregiver for the past four years due to his disability, leaving me with all of his financial obligations. After going rounds with his public assistance, I only received $300 from Social Security to put towards Dad's funeral expenses, nowhere close to what I needed for his final send off.

Anyone who met Dad would be sure to tell you he was not a perfect man. What he was, however, was willing to always lend a hand and offer himself to others. Dad was the closest friend I have ever had and his passing left a massive hole in myself that will never be filled. I am creating this fundraiser to help settle Dad's affairs and honor his memory by showing him the amount of lives he has touched and the people that cared for him, even if he is no longer with us. All funds raised will go towards Dad's medical expenses. Any funds raised after the goal will be utilized towards Dad's legal fund to ensure this level of negligence is brought into the light and, hopefully, prevent another family from losing a loved one at the hands of poor medical practice.

Bryce Herrick