Stephen Crawford Health Crisis

I would like to begin this message by expressing my gratitude for the outpouring of love that the Crawford family has been receiving lately, and especially for those taking the time to read my dad's story. Today we are coming to ask for help, as we are encountering one of the most difficult times of our lives.

As many of you may know, my father Steve Crawford has been in the ICU at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis since the early morning hours of October 9th.

On the weekend of his 55th birthday (October 7th), he and his wife Mandi travelled to Illinois to visit both of their families. On Sunday, October 8th, he suffered a massive heart attack while traveling through Southern Illinois on their way back home.

He was first taken to a hospital in Herrin, IL. He was transferred to a hospital in Carbondale where he was brought into the Cath Lab and they were able to put 2 stints into his heart. While in the Cath Lab, he ended up going into cardiac arrest for 30-45 minutes until they were able to get a pulse back. They got him stable enough to put him on a life support ventilator machine and an ECMO machine. The ECMO machine beats his heart for him, and circulates his blood while adding oxygen to it. He was then airlifted to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, where he has been in stable condition since he arrived.

He has recently been removed from the ventilator and is breathing on his own. He is awake and talking, though somewhat confused and in pain. He is communicating and recognizes his visitors. His wife Mandi and I have been at his side since the 9th, staying overnight at the hospital with him. Lots of family and loved ones have come to visit, which has been such a blessing to all of us.

The damage to his heart was extensive, and the current plan of action is for him to have a mechanical heart pump, called a Left Ventricular Assist Device (L-VAD) implanted into his heart through open heart surgery. This is scheduled to happen on Friday, the 20th. After this surgery, he will need to stay at Barnes for an additional few weeks to ensure stability, undergo physical therapy, etc. and then will transition to home, where his wife will have to be with him 24/7 for several more weeks to ensure proper care for his L-VAD.

During these events, he and his wife have been- and will continue to be- away from work and unable to provide income to support themselves (and their dog, Chico). It is my hope to help raise enough money to pay their household expenses for the next couple of months, so that they are able to completely focus on his health and recovery. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a significant impact on my dad's journey to recovery. Any and all funds raised will go directly to his family to help pay bills, cover travel expenses, etc. The hope is to provide not only financial assistance to him and his family, but to also provide some peace of mind as we navigate this health crisis. He and his family are very rooted in faith, any and all prayers are more than welcome and appreciated.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for taking the time to read his story and considering supporting my dad's recovery journey. Your kindness and generosity mean the world to us, and we are incredibly thankful for the overwhelming support that we have already received.