Support Shaun's Recovery From Pneumonia

This summer of 2024, my son had a serious case of mycoplasmic bacterial pneumonia in his right lung that could have killed him if it wasn't for him calling 911 on August 20th 2024.

I'm doing my best to recoup the unexpected expenses for him from this situation. Scroll to the very bottom to see an actual breakdown of everything.

Any support of any amount, we would be forever grateful for.

Below is an intro on me if you don't know me or if we've never met.

Shaun wrote a journal entry of his whole experience that I'm sharing as well that is after my intro. Shaun also created a video to help tell the story that you probably have already seen.

INTRO: I'm Lara, Shaun's mom and business partner. I've always been the backbone of his support system and business I have supported his career as a professional magician ever since he started at the age of 12. Shaun started his career when we were living in an 800 square foot house at the time in rural North Carolina. I just recently gotten divorced shortly after moving with Shaun to this home. It was the best we could do at the time, but Shaun was able to easily keep his mind busy playing with legos, reading, computer games, and exploring the backyard. He actually started thinking about magic before he was 12. I would take him to the library just down the street and he would sit for hours reading books and drawing. One day, he brought all of these magic books home and started reading them. This kept his active mind busy all day (and all night). I'm grateful that I've been able to support his dream over the years that has led him to accomplish amazing things and appear on national TV many times.

If you know him, you know his story. If you're first being introduced to Shaun or this was forwarded to you by a friend, you can learn more about him by reading his bio by clicking this link. This will take you to his website.

Now, here's Shaun's experience as he wrote it in his phone journal.

"FROM HELL ON EARTH TO PEACE IN MY OWN BED"

Everything is going great…until it’s not..

I’ve been quiet about this for the past month not knowing the outcome but now that I’m on the upswing, I’m sharing this with you now…I’ve had an amazing summer filled with lots of great memories. This summer, I did a tour of some fairs in the Midwest and everything was going amazingly well....until the end.

Second to last fair I did, towards the last few days (August 9th) woke up with a sore throat. Day after that, let’s just say my bowels emptied themselves too much too frequently (to put it nicely). So much to where I was getting dehydrated. I muster up the strength to drive to the last fair in Minnesota and arrive to the front desk to check in.

There are chairs with warm blankets there. I was shivering. I sat on the chair, covered myself with a blanket, and waited for the lady at the front desk to finish checking me in. Fever is 102.7 degrees now.

I barely sleep that night due to being woken up by all of the above mentioned symptoms plus this green stuff I was coughing up. Figured maybe it was some weird COVID variant so but I tested negative so maybe the flu? Nope…

In show business, the saying "the show must go on" lives in all of our heads so I did my best to get through performing for the first day of the last fair.

I faked a smile for each show, gave it my best, and slept in my van in between my 3 shows and the last show had to ask for a chair so I could sit down at the end as I felt like I was going to pass out.

At that point I knew something was seriously wrong and I wasn't going to just sleep it off.

I went to the first urgent care clinic in Minnesota where I was performing at the time. This was my lovely experience with the world famous Mayo Clinic.

Pneumonia, the doc said.

The wonderful “doctor” there not only didn't test me or do any x-rays to determine what TYPE of pneumonia I had (bacterial, fungal, viral) but she mistakenly prescribed the wrong antibiotics that do nothing for pneumonia so I suffered for another 4 days with things only getting worse.

I had to cancel my last fair I was booked for and was holed up in the hotel (that the fair thankfully covered) for a week, not sleeping, going out of my mind…literally not being cohesive due to lack of oxygen to my brain and being high off cough syrup.

I never take cough syrup so my body must have been sensitive to the effects. I was only taking the dosage on the back of the bottle and was still feeling tipsy like Lil Wayne…

This was like being in hell on earth.

Coughing non stop. Sleeping sitting up. Couldn’t lay down as fluid would back up and choke me and wake me up. Pounding in my head from fever all day all night.

Kept taking naps. Didn’t help. I just wanted to sleeeep so bad but couldn't sleep outside of the naps I took on the couch sitting up. I would dread each night as the fever would get worse and I would only be able to sleep for 5min on and 5 off before waking up, using the toilet, and coughing more green stuff.

Went to another urgent care clinic and they prescribed another antibiotic that didn’t do anything, took a chest xray and said there’s fluid and inflammation in my lungs. Most of it was in the right lung.

I was so out of it that my agent (who is awesome) offered to come out to where I was to uproot and pack my equipment into my van and bring me back to Iowa to where they were staying. They allowed me to stay in a camper RV that was on their property for my quarantine spot. Extremely nice of them.

After no improvement for 4 days on the other antibiotic, I was sitting down on the couch nodding out and my feet were going numb, turning slightly blue along with my fingertips.

After seeing my oxygen level start at 77 with those finger pulse oximeters, I decided to call 911.

They took me away in an ambulance (August 20th) and I was hospitalized on oxygen for 3 days.

After doing a WIDE variety of blood tests and nasal swabs in the emergency room, it was determined that I had a serious case of Mycoplasmic Pneumonia.

Waited 12hrs in the emergency room before finally being taken to my own hospital room. Got to sleep at 9PM after all the nurses came to do their formalities.

Barely slept that night sitting up...occasionally coughing and shivering.

MY CONVERSATION WITH THE STUPID DOCTOR WHILE OXYGEN TUBES WERE STILL UP MY NOSE:

Doc: 9AM the next day "Hi! How are you!".

Me: "Well, I'm here in the hospital so probably not to good. I'm still coughing, still have a hard time breathing, and didn't get much sleep last night. That's how I'm doing."

Doc: "Ok great! You seem healthy enough for us to release you this afternoon. How's that sound?"

Me: "Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down here...Did you even read my chart? Are you sure you have the right patient? Are you aware of what took place yesterday? I haven't even been here for 24hrs and you're trying to kick me out? Sorry, doc but I think there's a big misunderstanding here. I'm not leaving today."

Doc: Says nothing and just stares at me with his eyes darting back and forth...starts to get nervous and paces back and forth before finally saying, "OK, we'll have you stay another day and see how you do tomorrow..." he then leaves without saying anything else...

WTF was that???

Now I understand why people die in the hospital or shortly after they've been released (too early). Too many people allow themselves to get pushed around by their doctor.

DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU!!!

Fight for what is right and what your body is telling you. If you need more rest, stay to rest.

I stay for 2 more nights before being released. I was dizzy from the strong antibiotics and just from the illness itself so I couldn't drive for a while.

My agent needed their RV camper for upcoming shows so I ended up having to stay in 2 different Airbnbs for about a week each to recover and get my oxygen up enough to be able to come home.

It was decided that I would ship my van back and fly home. That's what I did.

I got home Sept 9th 2024 and was thankful to stay in my own bed. Peace in my own bed...Finally.

Since then, I've been recovering slowly and getting more back to exercising and doing normal people things.

The expenses were sudden and a big surprise. I've lost lots of gigs (and income) due to this situation.

I would rather have COVID 1000 times instead of this and wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I'm grateful to be here on this earth and don't take this life at all for granted.

It was a profound experience and removed my fear of death.

I wish you all well and look forward to continuing to be able to share my magic with the world!

***************************************************************************************

Here's a breakdown of just some of financial loss that I hope to recover through this fundraiser:

$350 Extra Hotel Days

$1,346.81 Airbnb #1 6 days

$1,123.94 Airbnb #2 5 days

$1,933 Vehicle Transport From Iowa to North Carolina

$1,417.93 Hospital Bill after insurance (thank God he had insurance..original bill was $16K!!)

$8,100 Missed Gig income

$265.51 Mayo Clinic Bill

$84.53 Emergency Room Bill

$417.97 One Way Flight With One Checked Bag Iowa to NC

TOTAL = $15,039.69

If you've scrolled this far, thank you for actually taking the time to read this.

Your support is greatly appreciated regardless of the size of the donation.

If you cannot afford to donate anything, no worries! All we ask is that you share this GoFundme with your friends and others who may be able to donate.

Thanks again for your support,

-Lara