Mauricio Najlis- Cardiac Arrest & ICU
Donation protected
Life is crazy! One minute you are running your usual 8-minute mile pace, and the next, your heart stops beating.
On Saturday, July 25th, 2020, I went for my usual jog. At mile 2.5, I suddenly felt very weak and had to stop. Next thing I know, I woke up in an ambulance being rushed to Gwinnett Medical. I later learned that I had lost consciousness and gone into cardiac arrest, specifically ventricular fibrillation (Vfib). Vfib is an abnormal heart rhythm in which the ventricles of the heart quiver instead of pumping, resulting in death in 83% of cases that occur outside of a hospital setting (https://www.resuscitationjournal.com/article/S0300-9572(10)00432-6/fulltext).
I was super fortunate that a good samaritan driving on Cruse Rd saw me, pulled over, and immediately jumped into action, giving me life-saving CPR until the EMTs arrived and shocked me twice to restore a heartbeat. My mother saw much of this happen since I had called her when I felt weak. She arrived before the EMTs and saw the good samaritan doing chest compressions. I can only imagine how she must have felt to see me laid out on the sidewalk like that just a year after losing her husband of nearly 40 years, my dad, in part to heart-related issues.
I've been incredibly lucky so far, but my journey is not yet over. ICU doctors are still working to determine the cause of the sudden cardiac arrest since I have no prior health conditions, exercise regularly, it doesn't seem to be hereditary, and it's very rare in people in their 20s.
Here is what they know so far, my heart is not functioning properly, and I'm at increased risk of another cardiac arrest. I will need to have a defibrillator implanted to work as a backup generator should my heart once again experience an erratic heart rhythm and need an electrical shock. According to the American Heart Association, the cost of the device alone can range from $30,000 to $50,000 (https://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2014/11/26/defibrillator-insertion-implant-for-life). Surgery for the defibrillator was scheduled for Wednesday, July 29th, but was postponed due to the unexplained fevers I have been experiencing since Tuesday. Depending on when my fever breaks, surgery will be rescheduled.
As you can imagine, this experience thus far has been scary, frustrating, and stressful. My health and recovery are my main concern, but I am also worried about the cost of this all. I lost my insurance coverage in March, so all of the expenses associated with my care and treatment will have to be paid out of pocket by me. I now find myself putting my pride aside to ask for any assistance you can provide me in tackling the medical bills that will result from this totally freak accident.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts, kind wishes and words, and any help you can provide.
On Saturday, July 25th, 2020, I went for my usual jog. At mile 2.5, I suddenly felt very weak and had to stop. Next thing I know, I woke up in an ambulance being rushed to Gwinnett Medical. I later learned that I had lost consciousness and gone into cardiac arrest, specifically ventricular fibrillation (Vfib). Vfib is an abnormal heart rhythm in which the ventricles of the heart quiver instead of pumping, resulting in death in 83% of cases that occur outside of a hospital setting (https://www.resuscitationjournal.com/article/S0300-9572(10)00432-6/fulltext).
I was super fortunate that a good samaritan driving on Cruse Rd saw me, pulled over, and immediately jumped into action, giving me life-saving CPR until the EMTs arrived and shocked me twice to restore a heartbeat. My mother saw much of this happen since I had called her when I felt weak. She arrived before the EMTs and saw the good samaritan doing chest compressions. I can only imagine how she must have felt to see me laid out on the sidewalk like that just a year after losing her husband of nearly 40 years, my dad, in part to heart-related issues.
I've been incredibly lucky so far, but my journey is not yet over. ICU doctors are still working to determine the cause of the sudden cardiac arrest since I have no prior health conditions, exercise regularly, it doesn't seem to be hereditary, and it's very rare in people in their 20s.
Here is what they know so far, my heart is not functioning properly, and I'm at increased risk of another cardiac arrest. I will need to have a defibrillator implanted to work as a backup generator should my heart once again experience an erratic heart rhythm and need an electrical shock. According to the American Heart Association, the cost of the device alone can range from $30,000 to $50,000 (https://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2014/11/26/defibrillator-insertion-implant-for-life). Surgery for the defibrillator was scheduled for Wednesday, July 29th, but was postponed due to the unexplained fevers I have been experiencing since Tuesday. Depending on when my fever breaks, surgery will be rescheduled.
As you can imagine, this experience thus far has been scary, frustrating, and stressful. My health and recovery are my main concern, but I am also worried about the cost of this all. I lost my insurance coverage in March, so all of the expenses associated with my care and treatment will have to be paid out of pocket by me. I now find myself putting my pride aside to ask for any assistance you can provide me in tackling the medical bills that will result from this totally freak accident.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts, kind wishes and words, and any help you can provide.
Organizer
Mauricio Najlis
Organizer
Lawrenceville, GA