When Life Falls Apart - Daniel & Elizabeth Herron's Story

“When Life Falls Apart”

Dear Friends, Family, and Kind Supporters,

We’re Daniel and Elizabeth, a young couple three years into our marriage, reaching out with humble hearts to share our story and ask for your help. Just weeks ago, our life in Oregon was filled with joy—Daniel pouring his heart into graphic design as a contract worker, Elizabeth succeeding and growing in her position at work, and both of us dreaming of starting a family, investing in friendships, and of course hiking the trails we cherish here in central Oregon. Then, in an instant, life fell apart.

What began as a simple cough became a terrifying ordeal. Daniel was rushed to the ER, struggling to breathe, and diagnosed with simultaneous heart, lung, and kidney failure. He spent the first three days on life support and then eleven days after that under close watch in the hospital, with Elizabeth by his side, gripped by fear that she might lose her husband forever. She held his hand, praying through tears, unsure if their dreams of a shared life would vanish. By God’s grace, Daniel pulled through, but after just nine days at home, he was readmitted, intubated AGAIN for four more days, and hospitalized for another fourteen. The thought of life changing permanently shook us to our core, but our faith and love keep us anchored.

Now, Daniel faces a daunting recovery—relearning to walk, rebuilding strength, managing lots of new medications, and starting cardiac rehab. Elizabeth’s extensive background and degrees in sports medicine will be a blessing in guiding his rehabilitation, helping him work toward milestones: regaining mobility, getting off supplemental oxygen and hopefully by next summer, we will be hiking trails again with our loved ones. Our hope is to rebuild our lives, trusting in God’s plan to restore Daniel’s health and our shared dreams of a family.

The financial burden is heavy. Limited insurance through Oregon’s public health system was retroactively applied, but due to income restrictions, a significant portion of our medical bills—over ten days in the ICU, eight days in the step-down ICU, weeks of hospital stay care, ongoing rehab, cardio physical therapy, and follow-up appointments—remains uncovered, soaring into the six figures. Daniel’s lost his job and thus has lost all of his previous income, while Elizabeth has paused her work to care for him, (with her employer’s generous understanding of course) she is not currently able to work given the demands of care and convalescing with Daniel. Our family has graciously covered our immediate needs of June/July rent, our local church has offered some meaningful support, and neighbors have blessed us with meals. Yet, with Daniel unable to work and our financial future uncertain, the costs of rehabilitation, medications, and living expenses loom large. We’re aiming to raise $20,000 to help cover these medical bills and support our recovery.

We’re deeply grateful for everyone who has already been praying and lifting us up in faith. Your prayers have carried us through the darkest moments, and we feel God’s presence through your support. When life falls apart, the community can help rebuild it. We’re humbly asking for your generosity to write the next chapter of our story.

How You Can Help:

• Donate any amount to help us reach our $20,000 goal for medical and living costs.

• Share our story on social media, text, or email to spread the word.

• Continued prayer for Daniel’s healing, for Elizabeth’s strength, and our healing on this journey together.

Your gifts, prayers, and encouragement are a lifeline, reminding us we’re not alone. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with us in faith and love. The outpouring of love, kindness, and support have been felt deeply, and the Lord is already using it to His glory.

With all our love and gratitude,

Daniel & Elizabeth Herron