Lifesaver needs heart Surgery
Donation protected
My name is Michael Linley, I was born in the United Kingdom and came to the US in 1999. I came to this country to marry an American woman who has been very supportive throughout the years, but we are unable to pay for an extremely important surgery for me. I inherited four children when I married her and they have subsequently given us 11 wonderful Grandchildren. I have a number of years experience in Emergency Medicine as a Paramedic and have been teaching in the medical arena for 11 years now.
I teach the skiills of Basic Life Support or CPR and AED use to members of the public, industry, and medical personnel at two local technical colleges. Some of the people that have been taught by me have played a role in saving my life during the last four heart attacks.
I also teach Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support to Nurses, and Doctors at the Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, WI who have been very supportive throughout my medical problems. My main task as Medical Emergency coordinator is to teach medical professionals to keep patients alive after they've suffered sudden cardiac arrest until the "Code Blue" team get there using a high definition manikin.
At the age of 33, I suffered my first heart attack and am thankful that someone knew CPR and wasn't afraid to use it or I wouldn't be here today. Since that time I have had another 14 heart attacks. Now, my heart muscle is so damaged that the amount of blood my heart pumps out is down to 34%. The amount of blood pumped out by a healthy heart is between 50% and 70% which means that most of the time I'm in heart failure. Currently, I get out of breath after walking just 45 feet and after a full week at work need to sleep a whole day because of how tired I get.
To date, I have had 145 angiograms, a six vessel heart bypass, 31 coronary stents, and both my arms and legs are bypassed. The biggest surgery I had was when I was stabbed in my stomach when working as a police officer in the United Kingdom. I had to have part of my aorta (main blood vessel to the legs) replaced. I have other medical problems which means that I take 31 different prescription drugs per day just to be able to go to work. This means that most of my paycheck goes towards co-pays for medication and the cost of hospital care.
Between 2005 and 2010 I spent most of my time in a wheelchair. After surgeries, a lot of physical therapy, and a lot of work on my part I worked myself from a wheelchair, to crutches, to canes, and then walking without assistive aids.
I started Paramedic school in the US whilst in a wheelchair and made a pact with the instructor that I would return to work on an ambulance again. This was fulfilled in 2011 when I successfully graduated as a Paramedic and returned to working on an ambulance.
I am raising money to pay for an automatic internal cardiac defibrillator and the added medical costs associated with having one placed. Total cost for the device and associated tests plus the surgery is between $120,000 to $140,000. This device will deliver a shock to my heart in the event that I go into cardiac arrest. It will also pace my heart to pump more effectively and greatly improve my ability to work and allow me to get around without getting as tired as I do and allow me to continue teaching CPR and save lives as a Paramedic.
The sooner the device is fitted, the geater the chance I have of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest or the next heart attack which is more likely because of weak heart muscle. The whole process should have begun in April 2016 but I didn't have the funds to pay my part so I have been forced to postpone the procedure but it is a matter of urgency. It'll be like having a Paramedic in my pocket all the time.
Not only will I have a greater quality of life with this device, I will also be able to continue to teach so many more people CPR skills and indirectly save the lives of other people.
This device would give me another chance at life, I always said that my only wish would be to see my 54th birthday so that I would outlive my Dad. He died at age 53 after suffering for 20 years with heart problems. A simple thank you would never be enough from me to anyone contributing to my fund. As a thank you to everyone, I will make this promise, as my thank you to you I will continue to teach so many more people to save lives until I can't teach any more.
I teach the skiills of Basic Life Support or CPR and AED use to members of the public, industry, and medical personnel at two local technical colleges. Some of the people that have been taught by me have played a role in saving my life during the last four heart attacks.
I also teach Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support to Nurses, and Doctors at the Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, WI who have been very supportive throughout my medical problems. My main task as Medical Emergency coordinator is to teach medical professionals to keep patients alive after they've suffered sudden cardiac arrest until the "Code Blue" team get there using a high definition manikin.
At the age of 33, I suffered my first heart attack and am thankful that someone knew CPR and wasn't afraid to use it or I wouldn't be here today. Since that time I have had another 14 heart attacks. Now, my heart muscle is so damaged that the amount of blood my heart pumps out is down to 34%. The amount of blood pumped out by a healthy heart is between 50% and 70% which means that most of the time I'm in heart failure. Currently, I get out of breath after walking just 45 feet and after a full week at work need to sleep a whole day because of how tired I get.
To date, I have had 145 angiograms, a six vessel heart bypass, 31 coronary stents, and both my arms and legs are bypassed. The biggest surgery I had was when I was stabbed in my stomach when working as a police officer in the United Kingdom. I had to have part of my aorta (main blood vessel to the legs) replaced. I have other medical problems which means that I take 31 different prescription drugs per day just to be able to go to work. This means that most of my paycheck goes towards co-pays for medication and the cost of hospital care.
Between 2005 and 2010 I spent most of my time in a wheelchair. After surgeries, a lot of physical therapy, and a lot of work on my part I worked myself from a wheelchair, to crutches, to canes, and then walking without assistive aids.
I started Paramedic school in the US whilst in a wheelchair and made a pact with the instructor that I would return to work on an ambulance again. This was fulfilled in 2011 when I successfully graduated as a Paramedic and returned to working on an ambulance.
I am raising money to pay for an automatic internal cardiac defibrillator and the added medical costs associated with having one placed. Total cost for the device and associated tests plus the surgery is between $120,000 to $140,000. This device will deliver a shock to my heart in the event that I go into cardiac arrest. It will also pace my heart to pump more effectively and greatly improve my ability to work and allow me to get around without getting as tired as I do and allow me to continue teaching CPR and save lives as a Paramedic.
The sooner the device is fitted, the geater the chance I have of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest or the next heart attack which is more likely because of weak heart muscle. The whole process should have begun in April 2016 but I didn't have the funds to pay my part so I have been forced to postpone the procedure but it is a matter of urgency. It'll be like having a Paramedic in my pocket all the time.
Not only will I have a greater quality of life with this device, I will also be able to continue to teach so many more people CPR skills and indirectly save the lives of other people.
This device would give me another chance at life, I always said that my only wish would be to see my 54th birthday so that I would outlive my Dad. He died at age 53 after suffering for 20 years with heart problems. A simple thank you would never be enough from me to anyone contributing to my fund. As a thank you to everyone, I will make this promise, as my thank you to you I will continue to teach so many more people to save lives until I can't teach any more.
Organiser
Michael Robin Linley
Organiser
Mosinee, WI
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