Late last year, our amazing friend Will started having some serious health symptoms. After going through extensive testing, labs, scans, and multiple doctor’s appointments, he has been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect called Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (PAPVR), with an atrial septal defect. Due to this diagnosis, he will require open-heart surgery at the end of the month. The surgery cost alone, even with insurance, will put a major financial strain on him, as well as the costs of testing he has had to endure already leading up to the surgery, including a recent cardiac catheterization. He will also need extensive rehabilitation following the surgery, new heart medications, and medical supplies and equipment that he has already begun to start purchasing for when he goes home from the hospital. On top of the mounting medical bills, another aspect causing strain is the fact that he is not covered at 100% disability pay for the medical leave he will have to take from work, resulting in a major decrease in his income for an undetermined amount of time. Unfortunately, this is not the first major medical event Will has had to endure in his life, as he went through a traumatic injury at only 6 years old, resulting in the loss of his leg. Because of this, we know he’s a fighter and he won’t give up, but mentally and financially, this has been a frightening burden to go through yet again. Those close to Will have witnessed his kindness and compassion, helping his family and friends when they were in a time of need (whether emotionally or financially) again and again, so let’s help take some of this burden off of him, to enable him to fully focus on this long road ahead to recovery.