Skip is a well-known independent fitness coach in Los Angeles who has spent his life helping others rebuild strength after illness, injury, and major health setbacks. Fitness is not just his profession; it is who he is. He has coached hundreds of clients through recovery, weight loss, and regaining confidence after serious medical events.

On January 7th, 2026, Skip suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while leading a group of folks at EOS Fitness on Beverly blvd. He had mentioned he wasn’t feeling well that morning and was planning to follow up with his doctor, but no one expected what happened next. He collapsed at the gym. Fortunately, medical professionals nearby immediately began CPR. He was transported to the hospital, where doctors discovered a failed bypass graft and critically low heart function. Skip spent weeks in intensive care on advanced life support, including ECMO (heart-lung bypass), an Impella heart pump, a ventilator, and continuous dialysis. His heart’s ejection fraction was initially below 10%. There were real concerns about whether he would survive or suffer permanent organ damage, or even regain conciousness at all. Against the odds, he did survive. Doctors have said that his long-standing cardiovascular conditioning likely helped him endure the initial cardiac event. Over the following weeks, he steadily cleared one medical hurdle after another. He came off ECMO, was removed from the ventilator, transitioned from continuous dialysis to intermitten dialysis, and began physical rehabilitation. His heart function has improved to approximately 35%, but he remains significantly weakened after extended sedation and ICU treatments. He now has an implanted defibrillator for protection against future cardiac arrest. He has also been evaluated and listed for a potential heart transplant as a precaution in case his heart does not recover sufficiently long-term.

Skip has survived stage 4B non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2001 and previously underwent open-heart surgery with a quadruple bypass over a decade ago. Each time, he rebuilt his strength and returned to helping others. This time is different in one key way: recovery will take 9–12 months, and he cannot work during that period. Because Skip is self-employed, he does not qualify for any significant state disability benefits. Since this event and during recovery, he still faces medical deductibles, prescription copays, ongoing treatment costs, rent, insurance premiums, loan payments, utilities, basic living expenses, and potential rehabilitation or in-home support costs. The projected recovery timeline includes several months of rehabilitation and, if a transplant becomes necessary, additional months of recovery after surgery. This fundraiser is intended to provide financial stability during this critical period so Skip can focus fully on healing without the added stress of mounting bills. Skip has spent decades helping others rebuild their health. Now he needs time, stability, and community support to rebuild his own.

In Skip's own words:

"It's been a tough journey this time...but I'm a fighter, and I'm doing my best to make it back to y'all. I honestly cannot put into words how important my family, friends, and clients are to me, and your support today means the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."