Support Russ Carpenter's Medical Recovery

Hello friends!

I am starting this fundraiser for my friend, Russ Carpenter, with whom I enjoyed playing music for many years. He’s a nurse by profession, a great musician, and a dear human being.

He experienced a medical emergency in mid-December, is unable to work, and will have mounds of bills that likely feel insurmountable.

Here’s what happened, in Russ’ words:

It all started Sunday night Dec 15, luckily while I was at work, at Bay Park Hospital. I passed out and luckily I was sitting down in my office. I ended up in the ED and needed to be shocked and transferred to Toledo Hospital. I went to cath lab, where I learned that my LAD and RCA were both totally occluded. I was in the cath lab 2 or 3 times. I have 5 total cardiac stents. I have been shocked more times than I know. I have been intubated/extubated but I forget how many times. I was transferred to University Hospital, in Cleveland.

After that, Russ had a number of other procedures, was transferred to the heart failure ICU on Christmas day. “I will live and not die - a paraphrase of scripture, something I kept saying, and will continue to say,” Russ wrote shortly after.

Since that time Russ has had procedures for a few heart pumps (at least 3), continues to wear a Life Vest, learned that he has nerve damage in his left leg that is preventing him from walking at this time, and has been transferred to Rehabilitation Hospital of Northwest Ohio, in Toledo on the UTMC campus.

“My nerves will regenerate over time, even if it may take a longer period of time than I would like,” he writes. “Thank you for all your encouragement, thoughts and prayers, texts and messages.”

Russ has had a long career as a hospital nurse, and now’s he’s experiencing the other side of that role. He hopes to be released from rehab towards the end of January.

This appeal is on Russ’ behalf. I will handle none of these funds; this GoFundMe is being set up to place all funds directly in his account.

Your donations to Russ will be deeply appreciated and used towards his medical bills and rehabilitation.