Hey Everyone, if you've gotten this far, thanks for reading.

I am writing to ask for help for Rich today. I am extremely grateful that I'm here to ask for help with his life and not his funeral expenses.

If you can't help, a share goes a long way!

This man walked off what he knows now were possibly 3 heart attacks before the 4th had me stuffing him in the car and feeding him aspirin on the way to the hospital. This one lasted from the time he told me something wasn't right until almost 2 hours later when the surgeon in the cath lab put his 2 stents in. He can't lift more than a gallon of milk until the doctor clears him.

He is lucky to be alive right now, and we're both pretty scared of what the near future holds with as much work as I've missed this week and will miss to care for him. He will be totally out of work for at least 3 months. The doctor gave him a year and told him to retire.

To say our family has experienced financial strain and stress would be an understatement. Rich is now suffering from a bad heart. He had several pre-existing issues. He has 2 bad shoulders, a bad back, and a partial amputation of his right leg. He also has 2 hernias which are now severe and in need of repair.

Rich applied for disability a little over a year ago. It was hard for him to accept that he even needed this, as he's always worked hard for what he has. They denied him the first time, which most know is routine. The social worker in the hospital actually told him that it's a game the government plays to see how bad you want it, and this game she spoke of is one that very much frustrates Rich.

He is an honorably discharged veteran, he worked his whole life, and he is now 60. Being close to retirement age, he had tried to survive until then and was having trouble doing so before becoming fully unable to work. He has really only worked part-time in the good weather for a while now. We know now why the extreme heat last summer tired him out so much and why he hasn't felt good in a while.

He applied for MaineCare and SNAP assistance and was denied even though his income meets the qualifications for it. Being made to feel like a beggar has been hard enough on him, and he doesn't understand why some systems are so hard to navigate. It's been a huge barrier. The hospital helped him to reapply, and hopefully, this will come through so he can continue on with the cardiac rehab they want him in and get the ball rolling on other procedures. We did get free care paperwork filled out.

We believe that this event may help fast-track Disability for him, but that couple of months could still be too late as he was already neck deep. He is behind several mortgage payments, has a large bill with CMP, and his home and car are desperately in need of repairs also. He has a great deal to catch up on and could use help with immediate needs like chicken food, dog food, etc. We thank you all so much for the love and concern you have shown us this last week.

I am terrified. He must follow what the docs say. I've got to be home with him for a couple of weeks because he won't be sitting without me standing there staring at him. He simply just has too much to do to let anything go for even a day, even without working. He's not the type to sit down on a normal note.

We have a lot riding on us any given day, and we both desperately need that to be just a little less for the time being. Thank you all for reading and sharing. If anyone would like to make a donation directly or directly to a vendor, please get in touch with us for details.