Help Paramedic Morris after open heart surgery

Hello everyone! Previously a  Firefighter and Active Paramedic, Joel Morris, just had open heart surgery and will be out of work for 8 weeks. We are asking for donations to support him and his family while he recovers and eases back into his full time schedule. My income as a paramedic alone is just not enough. Funds will help with home expenses and essentials while Joel heals after this life changing surgery. Joel has served 20 years on Shelby Twp. Fire Department and 6 years on Utica Fire Department. Joel is currently a Paramedic at Universal Macomb Ambulance Service and we work together running rescue out in Detroit as Medic 43

Due to the stress levels from fire fighting, and other contributing factors it has caused damage to his heart. Joel had his first cardiac cath in 2006 and has had 8 more since then.

Joel has had a total of 7 cardiac stents placed. His latest chest pain landed him back in the cardiac cath lab once again on September 27th 2023 making it his 9th cath procedure. In February he had a procedure where he had angioplasty performed and yet another stent placed inside the left distal circumflex artery from a 95% occlusion. At that time, he had coronary brachytherapy that uses radiation to prevent an artery from becoming narrow again. Joel had 5 previous stents inside this same artery at the time. The brachytherapy has a very high success rate of the artery never becoming occluded again. Since this artery already has multiple stents, that’s why the doctor decided on angioplasty and radiation. Unfortunately 3/6 of the stents have become 90% to 95% occluded again. The LAD is no longer able to have another stent placed so the 3 occluded stents have again had angioplasty. The distance of that artery that is left is only long enough for a coronary artery bypass now.

Due to the extent of damage his heart has gone through, during this visit of his 9th cath procedure his doctor gave us alarming news. The angioplasty is only a temporary fix and he will need open heart surgery. He will be having a double coronary artery bypass. He has been in the hospital since September 27th and he will not be able to go home until after the surgery which is scheduled for the first week of October. (October 5th)

The bypass procedure includes advanced life support measures. Joel will be intubated and on a ventilator, he will also be placed on a heart-lung bypass. The HLB takes over for his heart and lungs by pumping blood out of the body, through an IV line and into this machine, which also adds oxygen and removes the carbon dioxide of the blood. The machine then pumps the blood back into the body through another IV line. This machine completely stops the heart allowing doctors and surgeons to easily do their work. The cardiothoracic surgeon will make an incision in the center of his chest. They will also split the breastbone (sternum) down the middle, then spread and lift the rib cage to make it easier to access the heart. At this point, the heart lung bypass machine is turned on and they will take the harvested blood vessel and craft the bypass. The vessel of choice is his internal mammary artery. Joel will be admitted in the hospital for 5 days post operation so he can be monitored closely. Once he is able to go home, that's where the long road to recovery really begins. It takes around 8 weeks for the breastbone and chest muscles to heal. Gradually and slowly he will be able to return to normal routines, usually with a full recovery within 3 months!

Sometimes the hero needs saving too. ❤️