Julie and I Need Your Help for Critical Care

A Life-Changing Surgery: A Call for Help

In 2005, I underwent a surgery that was meant to change my life for the better — a Nissen fundoplication and gastric bypass surgery. But a tragic mistake during the procedure turned everything upside down. The doctors misread my medical records and believed I had colon cancer. As a result, they removed 8 inches of my colon. When they reconnected my intestines, the procedure was not done properly, and I developed life-threatening sepsis. After emergency surgery and a seven-day coma, I spent three months in the hospital and had to wear an ileostomy bag for six months.

Since then, I have faced years of complications. A hernia, originally repaired with mesh, has grown worse, pushing through my stomach wall and interfering with my small intestine. For the last 14 months, I've been hospitalized three times. Each time, I was told by doctors here in Des Moines that surgery would only be an option in an emergency and that my chances of survival were only 25%.

But I finally found hope — Mayo Clinic in Rochester has a surgeon who specializes in hernia repair and has agreed to take on my case. The challenge now is that Mayo Clinic is out of network for my insurance, and while we are working to get them into the network, the costs are still overwhelming.

Between medical bills and lost wages, the cost of surgery and treatment will exceed $100,000, not including the $3,000 I’ll lose in income while recovering for four weeks. My wife, Julie, is retired, and I had to close my logistics business due to economic hardships. I’ve been driving for Uber full-time to make ends meet, but the financial burden has become too great.

I’m reaching out for help. We’ve never asked for financial support before, but we are in a difficult and precarious situation. Any contribution, no matter how small, would mean the world to us and help us get the care I so desperately need.

Thank you for reading my story and for your generosity. We are forever grateful for any support you can offer.