My name is Chris Cayer and I am starting this fundraiser to help my friend Brian Sweetser in his fight against Diverticulitis.

 

In 2019, Brian had a flare-up of diverticulitis which landed him in the ER. A CT scan revealed a hole in his colon, prompting an emergency surgery which left him with a colostomy bag and a series of painful and debilitating symptoms.

 

Earlier this year, Brian went to the ER with extreme pain and inability to eat or drink, which prompted another surgery. On 1/31, he went in for a 7-hour open surgery where they reversed the colostomy, repaired the hernia, and put an ileostomy on the right side of his stomach. While recovering from surgery in the hospital, his kidneys failed, BP dropped to 85/75, and he wound up in the ICU for multiple days. This was the beginning of what turned out to be a 24-day stay in the hospital.

 

He was out of the hospital for one day before returning because he could not eat or drink without experiencing extreme symptoms. He still needs surgery to remove the temporary ileostomy and reconnect the bowels.

 

UPDATE: Brian is back in the hospital. His legs are holding a large amount of fluid and he has to be cautious given his kidney issues and the blood clot they found in his lung.

 

 

Diverticulitis is a digestive disease which causes severe abdominal pain, fever, and nausea, and can be seriously disabling. Due to this ongoing medical emergency, Brian has been unable to work since November. He is in a transitional living situation that will expire at the end of April, leaving him without housing. He is out of resources, and needs to be in an environment where he can heal. Brian is also in need of urgent financial help to cover the cost of medical equipment that is not covered by insurance.

 

I first met Brian in 2014 when he was managing a sober living facility in New Hampshire. He helped me and many others during their recovery, treating everyone with respect and dignity. I'm really grateful that Brian was there to help me, and now I have the opportunity to help him by raising money to pay for some of his urgent medical needs. Please consider helping this person who has helped so many people in the recovery community.