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Medical Funds for Joe Balzer

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Fellow umpire, softball players, friends, and family of
Joe Balzer.

Joe, being the dedicated umpire he is, arrived in Las Vegas on Thursday, January 14, to serve as a lead umpire (or “Umpire in Charge (UIC)” as we say) at the Shadow Mountain Complex as part of the Sin City Shootout softball tournament.

Once Joe arrived, however, he began to develop a high fever. By Friday evening, he went to a Quick Care to get medication so he would be able to umpire games the following day. Sadly, on Saturday, Joe’s situation worsened…and by mid-afternoon on Sunday, Joe was rushed by ambulance to Spring Valley hospital in Las Vegas. Today, Joe remains in Las Vegas in critical condition with a sepsis infection. The doctors are still trying to determine what is causing this dangerous infection.  A sepsis infection  is  an extremely dangerous blood infection which can spread throughout the body.

His wife, Lori, flew in yesterday and is now by his side. We are all trying to wrap our heads around this situation and keep a positive attitude and outlook for Joe. The reality of the situation is that the  many tests are being performed  to find the source of the infection.   With each tests will come more medical bills. Although a large portion of these bills should be covered by insurance, the rest will be incurred by Joe’s family.

Joe’s road to recovery is potentially going to be a long and arduous one. Joe deserves the best of care and we are all determined to smooth the road for Joe and his family as much as possible. Any contributions you make will go directly to the family account and will be used solely toward his non-covered medical costs. Joe, his family and myself want to thank you in advance for any support you can offer.

We know Joe is fighting hard on this infection and is desperately trying to get better so he can return home to his family, his job, and his umpiring.

We all want to see Joe back on the softball field soon. Please contribute!
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    Organizer and beneficiary

    Connie Stewart
    Organizer
    Minneapolis, MN
    Lori Baltzer
    Beneficiary

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