❤️Help Young Boy Who Recently Lost His Dad❤️

Hello, my name is Nicole Duva. I started this fundraiser for a very special friend who needs help.

On November 11, 2023, my friend Lana Santimone's whole life turned upside down when she lost her soul mate, her sons daddy, Izaak Medina. He died very unexpectedly from complications of sepsis. He was only 44 years old and his death was a complete shock to this family!

For the last 5 years of his life, Izaak was struggling with uncontrollable diabetes and this horrendous disease took a severe toll on his body. It caused him to lose half of his right foot last year, and the open wound then caused a bloodstream infection that eventually settled in his spine. This past summer, he had to have an operation on his spine to remove a pus-filled and very painful abscess. But, even with long term IV antibiotics, through a picc line, the spine infection was not going away and was silently destroying his body. It caused trauma to his kidneys, respiratory failure, and then cardiac arrest. After 18 long days in the ICU on life support, it lead to this very sad and tragic outcome.

This man was a warrior, a lion and one incredible fighter through all of this! We know he was in such severe pain for many years, but he suffered in silence and tried not to be a burden on anyone. He was a wonderful man, a good father, a kind soul and everyone who ever knew him, loved him.

Lana and his team of doctors at Clara Maass Medical Center, were relentless and tried everything possible to save his life, but God saw him suffering so badly... and mercifully took him home. We know he is in a better place now... but God, it really hurts so bad.

Izaak peacefully slipped away with his family and friends around him. His only child, a son (Izaak Jr.), wanted to be at the bedside with his dad and held his hand tightly during his final breaths. It was the most heartbreaking moment that I ever witnessed in my life.

Lana and Izaak were together over 23 years (I introduced them when they were teenagers). They were told they would likely never have a child because of Lana's illness, but after 13 years, God blessed them with their little miracle child, and now she has to raise him all alone, it really doesn't seem fair.

Needless to say, this family was hit hard. It's extremely sad.

Being young and dying unexpectedly is very sad in itself, but he also had no life-insurance to help Lana raise the little guy.

I am hoping this fundraiser will help to offset the financial burden that she will have with Izaak Jr's future and his education! The little guy has a learning disability with dyslexia and Lana is not well herself - she has had rheumatoid arthritis since she is 4 years old, but In spite of her daily pain, I saw her do everything in her power to help big Izaak when he was sick and trying to recover. She feels so lost and broken now.

If you read this story and feel compelled to help this family, I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart! I know my friend appreciates everything we are doing.

If you cannot donate, it would help tremendously, if you could please just share this story! God bless you and, may Izaak rest in eternal paradise... until we meet again!