Support Dave's Fight Against Severe Infection

On Friday, April 18th, my dad, Dave, was admitted to the hospital in Aberdeen. At first, we thought he was battling a virus, but we quickly learned he was in severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)—a serious and life-threatening complication of diabetes. A few days later, we found out the DKA was actually caused by an underlying infection, meaning he had been fighting the infection the entire time.

On Sunday, April 20th, things escalated when the infection was found to be spreading into the surrounding tissue. Dave was flown by medical transport to Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls for more specialized care. My mom and I left immediately and arrived at the ER shortly after he had been admitted.

Later that evening, he underwent his first surgery to begin cleaning out the infected tissue. During all of this, his heart started going into atrial fibrillation (afib), which required close monitoring given his heart history.

On Monday, April 21st, he had a second surgery to continue removing infected tissue. After that, we were told there may be several more procedures ahead. What we thought would be just a few days in Sioux Falls has now turned into a much longer and uncertain stay.

My mom and I are staying in Sioux Falls to be close to him, which means covering hotel rooms and meals for at least a week. Unfortunately, a large gymnastics event in town has caused hotel prices to skyrocket, and we've already had to switch hotels once due to the cost.

To add to the stress, just a few weeks ago, my parents had to spend most of their savings replacing both their furnace and water heater after they failed unexpectedly. Now, with hospital bills from multiple surgeries, days in the ICU, and other ongoing care, expenses are adding up quickly.

Dave does not receive short-term or long-term medical leave. This means once what little PTO he had is used up, he will be without income during his stay and recovery.

We're asking for any help—whether it's a donation, sharing this page, or simply keeping Dave in your thoughts. Every little bit helps take pressure off our family and allows us to focus on helping Dad get through this.

Thank you so much for your support, kindness, and prayers during this incredibly hard time.