Help the Rodriguez Family after Heart Failure

Hi, my name is Shelby. And my husband Tim (33) has just received a life changing diagnosis.

A little background - for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting Tim, he is the hardest working guy I know. Working in construction as a laborer for the last handful of years, he's always been proud of how much he accomplishes each and every day at his job. And spending the last few years really turning his life around health wise, from diet, to exercise - he loved every minute he got to spend at the gym.

He's also the funniest - always the first to make a joke, and even if you didn't think it was THAT funny, just him laughing at himself made it hysterical!

Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to be either of these things, or himself at all, since July.

July 17th, my husband wasn't feeling great at work, but attributed it to the heat and continued putting in his best effort for a full day. What we didn't know, is this would be his last day of working, and the last day of his "normal" life.

After a few days of strange symptoms, we decided to go get him checked out. Not so simple though, because it took a couple weeks going to 3 urgent care visits, and 3 stand-alone E.R. visits to not have an actual answer. We finally had enough and went to the E.R. at one of our local hospitals August 9th.

It took a couple days and a multitude of testing to determine that Tim has end stage Congestive Heart Failure.

It's been a long couple of months, marking the day I create this fundraiser as his 22nd day total in the hospital. With more to come. We are currently in the process of getting him scheduled for an LVAD surgery, which is an implant that will beat his heart for him. This will be worn for months, or potentially years, until he is able to receive a whole heart transplant.

I was reluctant to reach out for help at first. But as time goes on and realizing that his FMLA pay will end in just a short couple of weeks, and the process of disability taking at least six months I was told, I alone am unable to pay our foreseeable bills and don't really know what else to do.

Even if we don't make our goal, I just want you to know, we appreciate ANYTHING & EVERYTHING. Thank you so much <3