<div>We are a family of 6, my husband works for himself with his own business as an upholsterer.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>He is the main income source of the family. While i have an income also as a small business owner of an online boutique shop and Flea Market booth gift shop at Raynham on weekends. My business pulls in enough to cover some bills, groceries and gas for the vehicle.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>My husband usually covers the rent and all our bigger bills .
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Working for himself there's no sick time, vacation time, no paid family leave etc...
</div>
<div>My husband went in for a routine check up of his heart because heart issues run in his family. Many of the men passed at a young age his older brother being one of them. His older brother passed at only 52. My husband is now 54 and after a routine stress test his doctor felt something wasn't right. His doctor sent him for a cardiac catheterization procedure where they would put a Stent if they found a blockage. Once inside his viens the doctor said my husbabd needed open heart surgery. One artery was completely clogged and his body already bypassed it naturally by creating new veins. I find that pretty miraculous. Unfortunately the scarey part was the 98% clogged artery the blood was still trying to pass through, and the 80 something percent clogged artery.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>On April 1st he was supposed to have a triple bypass heart operation that had turned into a quadruple by pass.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>In march he had been taking it slow as he was feeling tired and couldn't over exert himself. We thought it would only be two months that he would be healing from this procedure.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This is where our family needs help. I will have to support the whole family on my own and even though I have been selling off many of our belongings to make ends meet. I still could use some extra help getting by these next few months as I care for my husband and family while he heals. Any help is appreciated and I also understand that times are hard for many. I felt it was worth a try to humble myself and ask because this family runs off $4,000 a month in bills, rent, groceries, gas to get everywhere etc. I'm working as hard as I can to make it happen.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We still have many months ahead of us for him to recover and then he goes in for another surgical procedure.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I myself am disabled with a ACL tear that will never heal, two meniscus tears thst have about 8 to 9 more months to heal according to my ortho and severe arthritis preventing me from getting tear repair surgery. Even with some days of severe pain in my leg I am doing my best to work, and take care of everyone.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Our future will be very challenging and any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>After my first visit with frank when he was in the hospital, we thought he would be out only three months to recover. It was so horrible to see. They had to take a vien from his arm too and his leg to do the quarduple by pass.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>There was a tube that went in the side of his neck with two small tube's that went into his heart. Two tube's that went up into each lung draining blood and fluids.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>So hard to see a strong man down and so weak.
</div>
<div>After complaining a week of stomach pain, and receiving multiple suppositories throughout that week. The hospital did daily xrays and noticed franks intestine was extended and all the did was tell him to walk and gave suppositories.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Frank went for an xray of his stomach on a Wednesday where they saw his colon was extended larger than they've ever seen. He received another suppository and started hemorrhaging and complained of feeling colder than he ever felt. The next step was he had to get a CT scan and later that evening the hospital had him call me to tell me it was life or death he was being rushed off to emergency surgery as he was going sepsis from his large intestine popping and spraying out inside his body cavity. It was cracked all throughout and a hole leaking stool into his body. By 3 a.m. Thursday morning the surgeon called to say they had to remove the larger portion of his large intestine he has a little bit left and his colon had been clamped off and tucked behind his small intestine he now has an ileostomy bag. He will be out of work for 9 months to a year now because he has the two procedures to recover from and in 6 months he has to go back for a third surgical procedure where they will try to reconnect what's left of his large intestine to his small intestine and see if they can get it all working again and get rid of the ileostomy bag. Then he will have recovery from that surgery to deal with also.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>16 days he was in intensive care.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We have visiting nurses and I'm his aide to help with his care. He also has a home visiting physical therapist.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Praying the rest of his recovery is smooth because he certainly has been through more than he should have. So far he has been home since the 16th of April recovery is slow. He finally got the staples out last week (may 6th) that was a little bit of a relief. He still has lots of pain. Is a one assist with walking. His doctor canceled his cardiac rehab because he is not strong enough to handle it at the moment having to recover from two major surgeries within a week time frame.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you everyone for your help and everyone that has helped. The help we recieved so far has helped get through 2 months of bills and rents. Frank wasn't able to work in March due to fatigue and all the preparation appointments and treatments leading up to his heart surgery where he ended up having a CABBAGE 4 and then a week later another major surgery removing his large intestine because it ruptured.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I have started a disability case for him with social security but if he gets approved they origionaly said it could be 5 months to 10 months for the paperwork to be processed as it goes back and forth from boston to the doctors. They said they don't do temporary disability because of that and it will only go through if a doctor signs off he will be out of work at least a year or more. Given his circumstances now that we never could have prepared for its looking like that will be the case for him. Bieng self employed he can not get pfml from mass as we didn't pay into that system. He own an upholstery shop. F.M. Upholstery and Cushion Co.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Social security has expedited his case due to the severity of his medical issues. All paperwork was up at Boston and completed by May 8th last week. We now wait to see what happens and that could still be another month or two before we receive anything or get an answer to what he can receive. That's actually really quick for social security but for us we still have to get by this next upcoming month or two while we wait.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you again to all who have helped to ease this burden as we deal will this long road to recovery for Frank. You have all bee a God send.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>In 4 months he meets with the surgeon again to discuss surgery and get clearance from his cardiac team. In 5 months praying all goes well he has the next procedure so he can remove this ileostomy bag. Then of course recovery from that procedure.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>He can't wait to get rid of the bag. It releases foul odors at random times and liquid fart sounds all throughout the day and night beyond his control. I have to peel the bag off him every two days to clean and treat his skin so it doesn't break down then prep and replace with a fresh bag. It's painful and such a terrible experience for him. What gets him by each day is knowing a year from now this will all be a bad memory and hopes of being able to reopen his business that has been shut down due to his current medical situation.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div>

Anonymous

Courtney Coutu

deborah hines

Lori Palmer

Jasiel F Correia

Jeremy Borges

Kimberly Silva

Cheryl DiGennaro

Raymond Gagnon

Eleanor DaRosa

Jacqueline Brum

Louis St John

Eugenia Brasil

Diane Brasil

Carolyn Villella

Lisa Beverly

Mario SaoJoao

Family in need as dad recovers from multiple surgeries

Family in need as dad recovers from multiple surgeries

Still $9,805 to go. Help us build momentum.