Help Support John Yunker

December 29th started like any other day. John woke up feeling a little congested but was able to go about his day as usual. He coached a hockey game, visited with his parents over lunch and went home to relax the rest of the night with his furbaby, Kona.

As the evening progressed; however, the congestion continued to worsen making it harder and harder for John to catch his breath after small tasks. After taking Kona outside that evening, his breathing became so difficult that he had to call 911 and was taken to Maple Grove Hospital. After a few hours in the ER and still struggling to breathe, he was transferred to North Memorial in hopes they would be better equipped with determining the issue and treating him.

Once at North Memorial, the doctors ruled out any heart-related issues and proceeded to start treatment for pneumonia. After four days of medication and oxygen, John's condition slowly began to improve. He was able to stop using oxygen and got the okay to be discharged Friday.

Within hours of being home, it became extremely difficult for John to breathe. Even with supportive oxygen, he struggled to catch his breath and so once again, 911 had to be called.

He was taken directly back to North Memorial and they were able to get his oxygen and breathing under control. New X-rays showed bloody fluid build-up back in his lungs, so they called in a pulmonologist to get a better handle and understanding of his condition. After speaking with the pulmonologist, they decided a bronchoscopy test would best determine the issue. The bronchoscopy did confirm that John is suffering from Vasculitis, which is an inflammation of blood vessels, but at this point, there are still more questions than answers. After 8 days of limited to no sleep, consistent coughing and shortness of breath, the doctors decided it was in John's best interest to place him on a ventilator. He will more than likely remain sedated and on the ventilator for multiple days, hopefully allowing his lungs and body a much-needed rest.

If you know John, you know he has a passion for coaching and has been lucky to make a career of it for several years; unfortunately, that means he doesn't always have access to medical insurance as others do, which means all medical bills will be coming directly out of pocket.

Please consider donating to help relieve some of the financial stress this will no doubt have on John when he is finally released so he can focus on, what will more than likely be, a very long recovery. All donated funds will go directly to John's medical bills.

Thank you all for your generous support, continued thoughts and prayers.

UPDATE - as of 1/10/23

After doing another scan of John’s heart, it was determined that his mitralvalve wasn't functioning correctly and the cause of all his issues. The valve wasn't closing properly causing the blood to be pushed into his lungs and triggering his heart to work extra hard trying to pump more blood. The doctors decided an emergency open heart surgery was needed and rushed him in to have the valve replaced. Once in surgery the doctors were able to clear out the extra fluid in and around his lungs as well as replace the valve; however, they also determined that the tricuspid valve was leaking and needed to be stitched. Luckily his arteries looked clear with no blockage and therefore no stints needed. The surgeon let us know that his oxygen levels, blood pressure and heart rate are all doing much better and he will hopefully be weaned of the ventilator tomorrow. Although serious, this is some of the best news we've gotten in the past two weeks and hopefully means John will soon be on a path of recovery. We very much appreciate all the continued thoughts, prayers and good vibes everyone is sending. It's clear that John has made an impact on so many. We will continue to update as changes occur.