My name is Gypsy, I have taken it upon myself to try and help my dad, Glenn Pate.

Dad has been listed for a heart transplant since 12th September 2023, he has been living with end-stage heart failure and has been waiting for the call for a heart transplant over two years, with his health continually declining.

The last few months his health has rapidly declined, even though he does his best to stay positive and hide how much his illness has taken from him.

Dad has lost quality of his life and one of the biggest things he misses is tattooing and being able to be around people and in the studio environment.

For the past several months he has been home bound as he suffers with chronic nausea daily, shortness of breath, being over loaded with fluid, fatigue and brain fog which has led to him being mainly bed bound, this has caused him to have weakness in the legs and is unable to walk far, now requiring a wheelchair when he has to attend appointments.

More recently Mum has had to leave her job this has been an incredibly difficult decision, but it was necessary to ensure Dad’s safety and care as his condition worsens.

This wait has been so much longer then we first ever expected, he is one of the longest waiting for a heart at the Alfred Hospital.

The stage he is at now is the pointy end of his journey as he has no other options to keep him going.

His team knows we need to get a heart asap!

When the transplant call finally comes, we will need to urgently relocate to Melbourne for a minimum of 3 months if everything goes well, so Dad can undergo what we are praying will be a life saving heart transplant and then the recovery.

This page has been created quietly and with love, because Dad would never ask for help himself.

He has always been the one to support others, and accepting help does not come easily to him.

Dad has never been the one to accept hand outs and keeps his struggles quiet.

As most of you would know, Dad for many years has always been the first to offer help to those in need through multiple large donations and fund raises for sick people.

As sick as he is, he still thinks of others and donates gift vouchers to those in need.

Having been waiting for so long the financial worries have become a stress, as we know while Dad is in Melbourne the cost of accommodation in St Kilda close to the hospital and to have us kids and Nan and Pop there with him, as well as food and daily living expenses while we are there is going to take huge financial toll

I know Mum and Dad will still need to keep paying their mortgage and all of their other financial commitments they have back home plus what is needed for us to be in Melbourne with him.

As some might know bills don't just stop no matter how sick you are.

Dad will feel awkward me putting this out there but he needs to learn to let go of his pride and from what I know a lot of people have contacted him asking how they can help, so I am creating this for anyone who would like to help.

Any donation, no matter how small, will help ease the financial pressure and allow our family to focus on what truly matters and that is being together and supporting Dad through this fight and getting him home and back to doing what he loves.

If you’re unable to donate, sharing this page would mean just as much.

if you’d like to follow along with dads journey, he does post on his Facebook and TikTok -Glenn Pate

Dad is also trying to make more awareness of organ donation because it isn’t an easy road to go down.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for any kindness or support you can offer. It truly means more to our family than words can say and nothing goes unnoticed.