Aaron is my brother and a dedicated music education student at Webster University. He’s always worked hard, balancing his studies with a student job and driving for DoorDash to make ends meet. Just before Christmas, Aaron’s life changed in an instant. While out delivering, he started experiencing alarming heart symptoms—his heart was beating irregularly and he struggled to breathe. He drove himself to the ER, where doctors discovered fluid on his lungs. It turned out to be blood leaking into his chest, and he was rushed from St. Charles to Saint Louis University Hospital for emergency heart surgery to repair an aortic dissection.

Aaron’s recovery will be long and challenging. He won’t be able to return to in-person classes or work for 6-8 weeks, and he can’t drive or take on other jobs due to strict medical restrictions. The loss of income from his student job and DoorDash, combined with expensive medications and mounting medical bills from his surgery and ICU stay, has put a huge financial strain on him. His Medicaid is still pending and hasn’t provided any help yet, leaving our family to shoulder these costs during an already stressful time.

We are doing our best to support Aaron through his recovery, but the stress of these financial burdens is making it even harder for him to heal. Any amount of support would be deeply appreciated, even if it’s just some loose change from the car. We truly thank everyone who has reached out and supported Aaron during this difficult time. Your kindness means the world to us.