On January 11, our lives changed in an instant. In the middle of the night, my stepdad, Christopher Brigham, suffered a sudden and unexpected heart attack at just 45 years old. Until that moment, Chris had been healthy and active, making this event all the more shocking.
Chris became unresponsive, and without hesitation, his 22-year-old son Dominic began performing chest compressions—actions that ultimately saved his life. EMTs arrived quickly and worked tirelessly, administering multiple rounds of epinephrine and eight defibrillation shocks while continuing life-saving measures. Once at the emergency room, doctors worked on Chris for 37 minutes before he was finally declared critically stable.
It was more than 12 hours before Chris could be taken off the ventilator. Doctors were initially unsure whether he would experience cognitive impairment after such a significant cardiac event. When Chris finally regained consciousness, he was still intubated—and in true Chris fashion, he started pulling out his own breathing tube. His first words weren’t about pain or fear. He immediately began talking about the tiling job he had been working on. In that moment, we knew that Chris—known as “Brigham” to many—was still very much with us.
On the morning of January 19, Christopher underwent open-heart surgery for a quadruple bypass. While the surgery was successful, it marked the beginning of a long and difficult recovery that will include healing, cardiac rehabilitation, and significant rest.
Chris is a self-employed contractor who specializes in carpentry. He takes immense pride in his work and has built his business with his own two hands. Due to the severity of this event, he will be unable to work for an estimated four to six months, assuming recovery continues to go well. His wife, my mom, is also self-employed and will be stepping away from her own business to serve as his full-time caretaker. Like many small business owners, they do not have access to FMLA or paid medical leave, making this time especially challenging.
Chris is a devoted husband, a loving father, and the very best “Pops” to my four daughters. He and my mom (“Memo”) are the kind of people who have always shown up for others—offering help, kindness, and generosity whenever they could. Now, we are hoping to surround them with that same care and support.
Any donation, no matter the amount, will help ease the financial burden of medical expenses, everyday living costs, and the loss of income during Christopher’s recovery. If you’re unable to donate, sharing this page or keeping him in your thoughts and prayers means just as much.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your love, support, and kindness during this incredibly difficult time.