Support David & Pam Through Medical Challenges

David Lussier is a talented painter and active member of the art community. He and his wife Pam have made their living by painting and teaching art for the entirety of their 20+ year marriage. Their workshops, weekly critiques, and mentoring sessions have helped nurture the artistic spirits of many people. Unfortunately, a recent health event has upended their lives and disrupted their sole source of income.

On the afternoon of October 31st, 2024, David was playing golf with his brother and friends when his heart suddenly stopped and he collapsed in a sand bunker. Thankfully, the sand softened his fall, and those with him acted quickly to perform CPR and call for help. EMTs were miraculously able to bring him back from cardiac arrest, and he was transported to UMass Memorial Hospital where an incredible medical team worked tirelessly to minimize damage to his heart and brain. On November 5th, he underwent triple-bypass open-heart surgery and several days later went through another procedure to implant a defibrillator/pacemaker.

After an 11 day stay in the cardiac ICU, David is now home resting and regaining his strength with the love and support of his wife Pam and a network of caring friends and family. It is impossible to overstate how lucky we are to have David still with us. He has broken ribs and some new scars, but overall his recovery is coming along steadily. We are incredibly grateful.

However, there are still many obstacles to navigate on the long road to full recovery. David and Pam are a duo of working artists; all of their income comes from the sale of their paintings and the teaching they do together as a team. We don’t yet know when David can return to work. In the meantime, Pam is caretaking for David while trying to maintain their shared business. Neither of them are currently able to paint or teach.

This is the second time the pair have had to grapple with the costs of a significant health crisis. Pam’s battle with multiple myeloma has already left its own mark on their lives emotionally, financially, and physically. Although she has been in remission for a long time, the damage from her cancer necessitated years of dialysis and finally a kidney transplant. Her health is impacted by long term effects from her ordeal and the many side effects of the immunosuppressant medications she takes. This makes it especially challenging for her to take all of this on without getting ill herself. In addition, Pam is visually impaired and cannot drive. David will also be unable to drive for several months and the pair will need a lot of assistance to get around.

We’re launching this GoFundMe to ease their financial strain so they can focus on David’s recovery. As a self-employed artist, David’s health insurance coverage is minimal and we anticipate significant medical bills. Our current goal is to cover their normal winter bills, but we will update the target as soon as we get a better idea of the full cost of medical bills.

Any support, no matter the amount, would mean the world to our family and would help provide them with the stability they need during this difficult time. You can also support David and Pam by purchasing their works here .

Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

A special thank you to David’s brother Paul and long-time friend Bob for administering immediate and effective CPR, to everyone present at the golf course that day whose compassion and unique skill sets prevented a tragic outcome, and to the cardiac team and staff at UMass Memorial who treated our family with such tremendous kindness.