Robert Velasquez Funeral & Medical Expense Fund
Dear Family, and friends,
It is with a heavy heart that we must say goodbye to our beloved Robert "Bobby" Velasquez. He was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, who loved his family fiercely more than anything else in this world. He will be missed gravely by many.
After a long 3 month battle, taking place in multiple medical facilities, we lost Robert on October 12th due to heart failure, caused by acute respiratory distress syndrome due to multiple lung infections he contracted during his long hospital stay.
Initially, Robert found himself in the hospital here in Bakersfield because of his chronic incurable autoimmune disease “Myasthenia Gravis” which he had been diagnosed with and living with since 2012.
For more information on the rare debilitating neuro-muscular disease Myasthenia Gravis, I provided a link below https:// www.health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/myasthenia-gravis-a-to-z )
But due to a scheduling conflict, Robert was unable to receive the medication needed to treat the Myasthenia. And that is where it started to go downhill. Once the pandemic hit, the doctors' offices were even more unwilling to see him so that he could receive the care he needed.
Robert tried his best to manage his Myasthenia, but despite not particularly liking hospitals Robert checked himself into one, as the last resort.
When Robert first walked into the hospital his only concern was to get his Myasthenia Gravis medication, which he desperately needed. But while in the waiting room, the Myasthenia became to much, causing Robert to pass out due to restricted airways.
This caused the hostpital to immediately take Robert to the ICU, as they checked him in for what would be a long stay, not the short visit Robert, had expected. During his stay, he contracted a variety of infections which started in the lungs, which moved into the blood and finally made its way to his heart.
We all know Robert was a very strong man and a fighter, but this fight in the hospital was overwhelming and non-stop for Robert found himself stuck in a vicious cycle fighting off the same infections repeatedly, never getting time for his body to properly heal and rest.
He obtained multiple lung infections despite going into the hospital with healthy lungs. He also entered the hospital with a healthy heart.
It shouldn’t have been this way, but due to poor treatment Robert's body began to fail, it was infection after infection, test after test, including many blood draws, and countless serious procedures.
And despite the doctors saying that they had seen Myasthenia patients recover from bouts like this, the infections wouldn’t let up.
Ultimately they couldn’t help Robert, even though they tried. It wasn’t the Myasthenia that took Robert it was so much more. In the end, his body just couldn’t take the trauma.
Visitation with Robert was almost impossible. The hospitals wouldn’t let his wife come visit him until after about eight weeks had passed. To her horror, the man she saw in the bed was not the man who went in. She could tell this had been much worse than she was lead to believe by the hospital staff.
Being alone in the hostpital and not being able to see his family due to the current restrictions due to these unprecedented times took a toll, causing Robert, not only physical pain but also emotional. It’s often important to the patients' recovery process that they receive visitors, but since Robert was not allowed the depression set in.
We all tried to stay positive for Robert and he was always in our hearts and prayers, even now.
Though he fought bravely to get better, we feel that the medical system ultimately failed him in multiple ways.
Please consider helping in assisting our family financially with any amount you may be able to contribute to help cover funeral expenses, any and all additional funds will go toward covering the amassed medical expenses as well.
We appreciate your help easing these financial difficulties at this time and thank you for your support.
- Velasquez Family
