The best friend one could have, "VEGA" John Vega

My name is Chris Hall and I, along with many others, am reaching out for help for an amazing and dear friend, John Vega, aka "VEGA." I have been blessed to have had John as my close friend for 8 years. Words that describe "VEGA" would include; respectful, genuine, friendly, giving, blessed, thankful, listener, patient, fun, thoughtful, and so much more. Vega is beloved by all his colleagues and students! We are asking for help on his behalf...

Yes, John spent his birthday and Valentine's Day in the hospital! His 1st Open Heart surgery was performed on the day of his anniversary and Valentine's Day!!!

John Vega- Lake Nona Middle School - Technology Specialist, frequent assistant and long-time friend of Hope Presbyterian Church at Lake Nona. He has never met a stranger and would give you the shirt off his back. He believes in "Community!"

Here is a man who walked, talked, fished, played pool, gave his time generously to others and loved/lived life, always with a HUGE smile each day to now learning there would be some major roadblocks ahead!!!

Please take a few minutes and read through the ordeal that John and his family have had to persevere through the last few months. I have never done a Go Fund Me before this one, but I know John's situation warrants additional financial support to relieve the burden of this emergency medical situation. If you can help, we greatly appreciate it and any amount helps out the Vega family.

At the end of January, after a heart scan the previous week, John received a call that no person wants to get. He was told to proceed to the nearest emergency room immediately due to a life-threatening blockage. Vega was admitted, consultations happened, and a catheterization was scheduled for the next day. Unfortunately, when the procedure started they found that the damage was much more severe than anticipated; 4 blockages with one of his arteries being extremely hardened. Four days after that life-changing initial phone call, John underwent quadruple open-heart bypass surgery.

After the surgery, John has had multiple medical setbacks. He developed Ileus; a condition where the GI system is paralyzed after a major surgery. This caused his left lower lung to collapse and it filled with fluid. His team of doctors had to do a thoracentesis and removed 1200 units of fluid from his lungs. Several more days of hospitalizations ensued but John still wasn't feeling quite right. He had been experiencing fibrillation with erratic pulse and blood pressure fluctuations.

Several weeks after the initial quadruple bypass, Vega's aortic valve stopped working in his lower right valve. One of the three flaps had shut down so what they thought was a heart murmur was misdiagnosed. John then faced another open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve. Following that surgery and ensuing pneumonia, he also became septic and had to be rushed back to the hospital. Thankfully, John has responded well to the vigorous course of antibiotics and is currently on an upward trend in his course of recovery. We sure do miss seeing him on campus daily! He cannot return to work until at least the end of June or the beginning of July...

Needless to say, the last two months have been incredibly stressful and overwhelming for John and his family. His wife Kassandra, a nurse, has also been out of work taking care of John around the clock. For the foreseeable future, John will not be returning to work, and Kassandra continues her care for him at home. This amazing man and his family could use any help as they continue John's road to recovery.