Recovery Plan : Don McCauley

My name is David McCauley, I am creating this "Go Fund Me" account to see if I can get some financial help with the medical and living expenses to help my dad (Don McCauley) be able to have a chance at fully recovering from all the medical problems he is experiencing. The Dr's say his medical problems started when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March of 2020. At that time, he had just moved from San Diego to Las Vegas and shortly after his arrival, he got really sick and was in bed trying to recover from what he thought was Diverticulitis, depression and anxiety but those were just a few of the medical problems masking the devastating virus he had. At the time, the COVID virus attacking his internal organs and the Dr's believe that he suffered a couple heart attacks and was battling Diverticulitis which stated to affect his colon and his intestines. He started feeling better but never fully recovered. He was sick quite often and prior to moving to Nevada, we was working out everyday in the best physical shape he has been in for quite some time. He was eating healthy and was extremely happy with the lifestyle he had living in Imperial Beach, CA. One block from the beach. He thought he was invincible and could do anything and to my sisters, my brothers and I, he was and still is!

He has 6 kids that are all adults and 15 grandchildren. He is dad and papa to us all and loves us all unconditionally.

Las Vegas shut down shortly after he arrived because Las Vegas was overwhelmed with COVID. In the past year and a half, he’s been really sick quite often with Diverticulitis, Heart disease and the blood clots in his lungs and heart that were causing extreme shortness of breath, swelling of his ankles and feet, night sweats, high blood pressure and several other issues and for a few years, was able to overcome so much by getting physically fit and changing his diet but had no idea that COVID was going to and did change his life.

In Mid-October 2021, he became very I’ll and thought it he started feeling extreme pain and thought it was just another bout with Diverticulitis so he did what he always does because of his pride and kept to himself while he attempted to recover. He chose not to go to the hospital and thought he could deal with the pain. In December 7, 2021, he knew he had made 2 mistakes. Not telling his family he was sick and not going to the ER when he needed treatment. His immune system was broken down from the lingering affects of the COVID the previous year and now he has it again. When he went to the ER on December 7, 2021, he had already lost 20 lbs and hadn't had a bowel movement in over a month. They admitted him and took him in for emergency exploratory surgery and found his colon, small and large intestines ruptured and after repairing the damage and removing over 4 liters of feces infecting his other organs, his body was still shutting down. They also identified 3 blood clots in his heart and lungs. The Surgeon called me to tell me that he had already performed emergency surgery and in his medical opinion, my dad was going to die. When he finally woke up after the 2nd surgery 2 days later, my family was told that he’s probably not going to make it because when they went in for the second time, his body was still filled with toxic waste from the feces that was being released into his body and some of his organs were still shutting down. They said even if he makes it through that, he still has a long road to recovery and there is a possibility that of the blood clots break off and enter another organ, he could suffer a stroke, heart attack or die instantly. My family pulled together at the hospital and we were there hoping he would wake up and be ok but we all knew that it was really bad. When he finally woke up, his eyes were sunk so far into his dark sockets, he was down to 147 lbs and lost so much muscle tone he couldn't even raise his arms or legs. We all believed the Dr may be right and we were going to lose him.

After several days, he seemed to be getting a little stronger but we knew anything could happen at any time. After 18 days in the hospital, he was released to go home with A Home Heath Care Plan which includes a RN nurse helping him with basic health care to include changing his colostomy bag and wound care from a bed sore. Although he seems to be getting stronger and they are providing excellent care each day, the medical and personal expenses starting piling up and my brothers, sisters and I are seeking some financial help to aid in his full recovery. He's on a fixed income of $154 a month and has applied for EBT to help with food. It's nowhere near enough to cover the expenses. If you can find it in your heart to donate any amount, my family would really appreciate it because we came close to losing him but of you know him, he's a fighter and will recover because it's obvious God has a plan for him.

Our Goal is 20k which doesn't even come close to what is needed and barely covers the deductibles for his medical insurance but will provide much needed relief and help him focus on recovering. Thank you for reading my story, if you cannot donate, please share.