Save Dylan’s Heart: Bring a Dad of 2 Back to His Family

Help Dylan Get Back to His Family After Life-Saving Heart Surgery

Hi, I’m Sammy, and I’m reaching out on behalf of my cousin Dylan—a devoted husband, father of two, and one of the strongest people I know. Right now, Dylan is fighting for his life in the hospital, and his family needs your help to get through this incredibly tough time.

Dylan’s heart has been a challenge for him since he was young. Years ago, at Santa Rosa Hospital, he had surgery to move his pulmonary valve to his aorta and replace the pulmonary valve with a donor one. He’s been a warrior ever since, raising his two kids and building a life with his wife. But over the last few months, Dylan hasn’t been feeling right. What started as fatigue turned into something much more serious: an infection in his heart valves (endocarditis) that’s caused leaking, scarring, and dangerous buildup called vegetation.

Last month, things took a terrifying turn when Dylan suffered a brain bleed. Doctors believe a piece of vegetation broke off from his aorta valve and traveled to his brain, causing a small stroke. Thankfully, they didn’t find a mycotic aneurysm, but the damage was done. His leaking valves are now pumping blood backward, weakening his heart. His kidneys are struggling too, unable to clear waste from his blood, and there’s a pseudoaneurysm where his aorta valve was replaced. Without surgery, Dylan’s symptoms will only get worse—and survival isn’t likely.

The only way forward is a major operation scheduled for Wednesday, March 26th. Originally set for earlier this week, it had to be postponed after Dylan suffered another brain bleed. This surgery is his best shot—doctors give him a 95% chance of making it through—but it’s not without risks. It’s a reoperation, meaning they’ll reopen his chest through old scar tissue. He’ll be on a heart-lung machine, his heart stopped for hours while they replace his valves. The care team is leaning toward a mechanical valve, which will require lifelong blood thinners, but they’ll make the final call during surgery. There’s also a chance he’ll need dialysis afterward to help his kidneys recover, and the blood thinners could risk another brain bleed. But without this surgery, time is running out—another brain bleed could strike at any moment.

This is a long, grueling procedure, followed by a tough recovery: 10 days to 2 months in the hospital, then 2-6 weeks at home with physical therapy. Dylan will likely be sedated for days after surgery, and his kidneys may get worse before they get better. But if all goes well, he’ll come back to his family—the kids who need their dad and the wife who’s been by his side through it all.

Here’s where we need your help. Dylan’s been in the hospital, unable to work, and the bills are piling up fast. With three kids to care for, rent, utilities, and medical expenses looming, his family is stretched beyond their limits. He’s always been the one to provide, and now he needs a lifeline. Your donation—whether it’s $5, $50, or just sharing this story—will help cover living expenses, medical costs, and the support his family needs while he recovers.

Dylan’s a fighter, and with your generosity, he can focus on healing and getting back to the life he loves. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us bring him home to his wife and kids.

Every little bit makes a difference.