Eric Lundholm-Open Heart Surgery & Recovery

Eric is a talented ukulele and guitar player anticipating a bright future until a serious medical condition over took him. In late July he developed a flu-like illness with severe chills and fevers. After several days he visited a clinic for treatment and was sent promptly to the emergency room. ER doctors were unable to determine a cause, and after multiples tests and IV fluids sent him home. The fevers and chills continued for another week before a clinic physician prescribed antibiotics, Symptoms continued for another week and he returned to the emergency room, this time with new cardiac symptoms. He was diagnosed with endocarditis. The doctors were unable to determine the infectious agent, but clearly it had affected his heart . One heart valve was so badly damaged it needed to be replaced with a mechanical valve. A second valve was damaged and bacteria had eaten a hole between two chambers of his heart. These were able to be surgically repaired. As I write this he is still in ICU. He still has several months of cardiac rehabilitation ahead of him. Eric had recently moved back to the mainland after being laid off from a job in Hawaii. He was living in and fixing an old van for a  move to a new job building custom instruments- ukuleles and guitars, and was playing music whenever and wherever  he had the opportunity. Being in between jobs, Eric has no health insurance. He still has a number  of months before he can resume working on his van and get back on the road to his new job. Because of this delay it is uncertain if the job the was expecting will still be available, but we are hopeful. The medical bills are mounting and even after he is out of the hospital he will have ongoing medical expenses. Eric is our son, and we are doing all we can to help him financially and otherwise, but we are still paying off medical expenses from a dog bite injury that left Eric's mother with permanent nerve damage and partial paralysis in one leg.  We appreciate so much any support you can give.