9/30 - The summer really flies by when you're... stuck in the hospital. To say that this has been a taxing experience is an understatement... Even though the summer has come to a close, unfortunately, my dad's health journey hasn't.

Let me start this off by saying that the initial surgery went really well. My surgery was about 12 hours and my dad's was about 14 hours long.

The first few weeks of recovery though... not so much. My dad and I were in the surgical ICU longer than expected.

My dad was unable to regulate his own oxygen, so he remained intubated for four days after surgery. This led to complications with his kidneys. Fortunately this has subsided.

Unfortunately, when it came time to remove his arterial line (the tube inbedded in your artery that is placed by the surgeon to monitor O2, blood pressure and other levels), it tore the main artery in his right arm. This created a pseduoaneurysm, and his arm filled with loose blood, hematomas and clots. It required a second surgery to repair and clean out, and left him with nerve damage in his arm and hand.

I accumulated bile and residual blood and fluids in my stomach which led to lactic acidosis, which almost turned into cardiac shock.

Thankfully, the amazing staff of the NYP SICU took great care of us. Eventually we were both moved to the Transplant floor until we were discharged.

I'd like to say that this was the end, but it's not... Here's a list of the Summer's excitement:

August 2nd - my dad was initially discharged from the hospital after the transplant and the artery repair

August 11th - My dad had extreme pain and was told to go to the nearest Emergency room

August 15th - He stayed in Bassett's ER for 4 days and then was transported via ambulance from Bassett to NYP. He was there until the 25th going through more testing than I'm able to list. Not many answers were given, and it was hard to see my dad in that state.

September 4th - We dared to have a nice family dinner at my parent's house for the holiday.

September 5th - My dad became violently ill, couldn't stand, was incredibly dizzy, and was sent back to Bassett ER.

September 6th - My dad is back at NYP for more testing. They find pockets of fluid around his new liver and all of his blood and metabolic levels are trash. He has a drain implanted to remove all of the fluids. He was also diagnosed with Labyrinthitis, which is a viral infection of the deep inner ear that causes extreme vertigo and dizziness. He's on immuno-suppressants so he's susceptible to obscure viruses, and this is the result.

He was in the hospital at NYP from 9/6 to 9/20. During this time, his medical team also had to fight off mild rejection symptoms.

September 28th - My dad went in to have his drain removed because no more fluids were coming out. We thought this was a win and a step in the right direction...

Turns out, he has blockage in his bile duct and it requires surgery to fix. So he will be back at NYP on October 2nd, with no real discharge date in mind.

To sum it up, since July 18th, my dad has been in the hospital for 42 days. This means my mom has been in a hotel room for 42 days. And another (at least) 10 days ahead of them...

This post has been long, but I promise this summer has felt much longer. In all aspects; physically, mentally, financially, emotionally, fundamentally... this has been a lot.

And I'm here once again to ask for your help, to help my parents. I see my mom bust her ass every day to help my dad, and I hate that money can determine how long they can keep this going. My mom needs to be there for her husband, but it's becoming an overwhelming cost.

Many of you have already donated, so please just share the message. This community has been such a support and I hate to ask, but I'll do what I have to for my parents.

Sincerely,

The Core 4

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7/16 - At first, I didn't want to make a gofundme. At first, I didn't want to tell the world about what my dad and I are about to go through. It was our struggle and I thought we could get through it on our own.

But I was wrong. We couldn't financially cover it all. As hard as we tried, we couldn't muster the confidence and power that we needed to make it through. And I knew we needed help.

I never could have imagined how big my family really is, how big the hearts of my community really are, and just how powerful all of your kind words and generosity really has been.

We couldn't have made it this far without every single one of you. Your support and willingness to be there for us has been the driving force for weeks now.

The time has finally arrived. My family and I are on our way to the hospital tomorrow. Because of every one of you, my dad is going to get a second chance at life.

And I can't tell you how incredibly humbled and grateful I am for every single person who has hugged me, encouraged me, and given me the strength to never bat an eye at the decision to be my dad's donor.

I am so very scared, but nothing will scares me more than losing my dad.

So here we go

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6/4 - Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has donated and shared. The kind words have been such a boost during a time when it's hard to be hopeful.

The current amount is almost enough to cover the hotel for my mom and sister while my dad and I are in surgery and then the ICU. I can't tell you how appreciative and grateful we all are for the support. It's helped lift a little bit of stress from our shoulders.

Again, thank you

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6/1 - Hey, everyone. I'm Nicole, and I am the daughter of John Schuck. I have worked really hard over the last 6 months to help save my dad, but now I'm at the point where I need to ask for help from all of you...

Here's a little background: Around 2016, my dad started playing a horrendous game of "Mystery Diagnosis". He had an internal bleed that couldn't be found, he had rashes that came and went, he would have memory issues and dizzy spells. He was always tired and generally just felt like crap.

After two years of testing, it was finally determined that he had non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. Ultimately, he was diagnosed with end-stage liver failure.

A port was placed in his chest and he continues to receive weekly iron infusions, but it's not enough.

Over the past six months, I have gone through a plethora of tests and have been approved to be his liver donor. This July 2023, I will be donating 70% of my liver to my dad, in hopes of saving his life.

My dad is my best friend and has never steered me wrong. My dad has always been my soft spot and my safe space. I love my dad and will do anything I can to help him.

With all of that being said, everything comes at a cost. While both myself and my dad are in surgery, my mom and sister will be staying in a hotel. They will be our caregivers and can't be too far away. All of us will have to leave work, and we all know an LOA only covers 80% of your income. There will also be hospital bills, co-pays, medication coverage, and anything else included in our two-week hospital stay.

I can't do it all. Try as I might, and to the ends I have almost walked, but I can't take care of everything. So I'm hoping that maybe I have collected enough good karma points, and I can ask all of you for some help too.

My dad, John Schuck, is a great guy. He is a great friend, he will always make you smile, and he's loyal to the end. He has a giant heart and gives great hugs.

Please help me, help my dad.

Thank you so much