Hello On the evening of 1/6 Dan came home early from work experiencing clear symptoms of a heart attack/stroke. From our home, I took him to the emergency room here in Kendallville where multiple tests were performed and the initial results were he had a Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (left side of the heart was enlarged) and from there he was admitted. A short time later after the remaining tests were done by the hospital, Dan was taken by EMS to Parkview Main Hospital and was scheduled for surgery first thing that next morning (1/7). Dan was taken for surgery just after 6a and the surgery was scheduled for 6 hours, where he would be put on by pass to repair his heart. I was hold he had one of the best heart doctors in the country and he was in the best of hands. As a wife and having a young child at home this was the scariest moment in my life, little did I know the scariest words have yet to be said.

Around noon the doctor was finished and was ready to discuss the surgery. I was joined by my Mom, Deb, and I was ready to hear the surgery went great, Dan was in recovery and I could see him soon. As I said earlier, the scariest words had yet to be said. The Nurse sat us in a private room and the doctor walked in seconds later. Dr. Greenlee covered that the surgery (Ascending Aortic Aneurysm) went well but that the results of the surgery would come in time. He stated all the possibilities that he could, being that of brain damage, permanent heart damage, the high rish of a stroke due to fragments of his heart making it to the brain and the possibility of my Husband simply not waking up and that time would only tell the results. He prepared us for seeing Dan with a breathing tube and not being able to communicate.

Are you ever in a hospital and hear the tones go over the speaker and hear "rapid response," or "code blue" and on whatever floor that trauma was at?Unfortunately, now I know what they mean. Fast forward a few hours after surgery and the nurses and doctors continuing minute by minute care and working on evening out all levels and medications, Dan's body had had enough, his body went into cardiac arrest and CPR was performed for 3 minutes, afterwards his heart started beating on it's own and he came back from the light. The Hospital Chaplain was now involved and updating my family and I on his condition. I was told the first night and the 2nd were all about surviving the night. In my head, a night without a phone call was another hopeful day.

I first saw Dan open his eyes on the late afternoon of 1/8 and he's been on the road to recovery ever since. Qe later learned due to the late onset of symptoms during his recovery that he suffered a Spinal Cord Stroke during the surgery. This stroke is rare but can happen when the blood flow and oxygen is cut off from the spine due to needing to do repairs. Dan spent 17 days in the CVICU (Cardiovascular ICU) is now currently on his 13th day of Cardiac rehab. Currently, Dan is not able to walk unassisted and continues to be extremely weak in the legs. Alsp, due to the surgery needed Dan is also healing from a broken sternum which limits his ability with his arms. Time will be the telling of what muscles he is able to regain the use of and his future abilities to walk.

Due to this major event in our life and myself, needing to take time out of work, to care for my Husband, Russell and the upkeep of our home, our family is in need at this time. We are asking for any assistance you can give.

This assistance will be used for the building of a wheelchair ramp to allow Dan easy access into our house, gas to therapy and follow-up appts, medical devices to allow Dan to do day-to-day activities and the upkeep on bills and to keep food on our table.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts ❤️