Rich Halfman medical fund
Donation protected
Rich became sick in the middle of March with a cold. He had a cough that wouldn’t go away for 2 weeks. On March 28th he came down with a fever and decided to go to the doctor. On March 29th Rich went to his family doctor and they admitted him to a nearby hospital in Buffalo Minnesota. He was diagnosed with influenza and they started him on I.V. antibiotics and breathing treatments.
After 2 days in the Buffalo hospital Rich’s condition deteriorated and they decided to transfer him to Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, a more specialized and critical care hospital with some of the best Pulmonary doctors in the state of Minnesota. Rich arrived at Abbott on Sunday, March 31st, 2019. He was very short of breath and becoming too weak to move much. He literally was struggling to breath. On the overnight of March 31st Rich reached the level of acute respiratory failure and had to be intubated and put on a ventilator.
Since March 31st Rich has been in intensive care at Abbott Northwestern hospital fighting for his life and in a coma.
On April 12th Rich reached the level where the ventilator on 100% oxygen could no longer keep his organs oxygenated and his carbon dioxide levels were too high. Our family arrived for what we thought was a routine visit only to be faced with a life or death decision on what to do next. The doctors explained a relatively new “last resort” option to us called ECMO. It had a 50-50 chance of saving his life but carried many risks including bleeding, blood clots, infection, and machine failure. Rich was 52 years old and we were not gonna give up.
Since April 12th Rich has been teetering on the edge of not making it. He’s had a couple of up days but way too many down days.
What started as influenza turned into into pneumonia and his lungs have shut down. He is still in a coma and currently surviving on 2 forms of advanced life support-the ventilator and the ECMO machines. He has also had to begin kidney dialysis this week.
We are all clinging to hope that his small improvements this week will lead to him surviving this ordeal, but he is still critical and the doctors have reported that his rehabilitation and recovery could take months if not a year to recover from.
Rich’s muscles have deteriorated significantly from paralytics, sedation, he has a collapsed lung that could still be life threatening, he’s getting the best treatment he can get but all of this is going to significantly change the course of his life both physically and financially.
Rich is my step brother since as long as I remember-our parents have been together since the 1970’s and I can’t remember life without him in it. He has a heart of gold and has never not said “ I love you” at the end of every conversation whether in person or on the phone.
Rich has worked in the road construction business since he was out of high school. In Florida he was a bulldozer operator for the last 15 years. He waited for his boys Tanner and Tristan to graduate high school and then came back to MN with his wife Denise.
When Rich came back to MN a year ago, he immediately got a job in the construction business and worked long and hard hours all of 2018. As always in MInnesota, guys get laid off in the winter.
Rich was on seasonal lay-off status in March when he became sick. With that, he may not be eligible for any disability benefits or if he is permanently disabled it could take months to get approved.
I set set up this page to help with Rich’s medical expenses and to help bridge the gap of his financial burdens. This is a huge shift in life circumstances that could never have been predicted or financially prepared for.
When Rich wakes up from this nightmare the last thing we want him to be concerned with is his bills. He will need all of his strength just to learn how to walk, talk, eat, and breathe again.
Please feel free to look back at his journey on the Caringbridge page that was set up back in early April.
Our family and Denise are the most appreciative of all of the support we have received and people have asked us how to help. As bad as it can be is only more intensified when the paychecks aren’t coming in but the bills keep coming.
Thank you you in advance for any donations you make in his name and feel free to share this post. We so appreciate the continued prayers.
As an update-
Rich lost his battle with the flu and pneumonia on 5/1/19. Your donations will now help with funeral expenses as well.
Rest In Peace Rich.
4/14/66 —-5/1/19.
After 2 days in the Buffalo hospital Rich’s condition deteriorated and they decided to transfer him to Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, a more specialized and critical care hospital with some of the best Pulmonary doctors in the state of Minnesota. Rich arrived at Abbott on Sunday, March 31st, 2019. He was very short of breath and becoming too weak to move much. He literally was struggling to breath. On the overnight of March 31st Rich reached the level of acute respiratory failure and had to be intubated and put on a ventilator.
Since March 31st Rich has been in intensive care at Abbott Northwestern hospital fighting for his life and in a coma.
On April 12th Rich reached the level where the ventilator on 100% oxygen could no longer keep his organs oxygenated and his carbon dioxide levels were too high. Our family arrived for what we thought was a routine visit only to be faced with a life or death decision on what to do next. The doctors explained a relatively new “last resort” option to us called ECMO. It had a 50-50 chance of saving his life but carried many risks including bleeding, blood clots, infection, and machine failure. Rich was 52 years old and we were not gonna give up.
Since April 12th Rich has been teetering on the edge of not making it. He’s had a couple of up days but way too many down days.
What started as influenza turned into into pneumonia and his lungs have shut down. He is still in a coma and currently surviving on 2 forms of advanced life support-the ventilator and the ECMO machines. He has also had to begin kidney dialysis this week.
We are all clinging to hope that his small improvements this week will lead to him surviving this ordeal, but he is still critical and the doctors have reported that his rehabilitation and recovery could take months if not a year to recover from.
Rich’s muscles have deteriorated significantly from paralytics, sedation, he has a collapsed lung that could still be life threatening, he’s getting the best treatment he can get but all of this is going to significantly change the course of his life both physically and financially.
Rich is my step brother since as long as I remember-our parents have been together since the 1970’s and I can’t remember life without him in it. He has a heart of gold and has never not said “ I love you” at the end of every conversation whether in person or on the phone.
Rich has worked in the road construction business since he was out of high school. In Florida he was a bulldozer operator for the last 15 years. He waited for his boys Tanner and Tristan to graduate high school and then came back to MN with his wife Denise.
When Rich came back to MN a year ago, he immediately got a job in the construction business and worked long and hard hours all of 2018. As always in MInnesota, guys get laid off in the winter.
Rich was on seasonal lay-off status in March when he became sick. With that, he may not be eligible for any disability benefits or if he is permanently disabled it could take months to get approved.
I set set up this page to help with Rich’s medical expenses and to help bridge the gap of his financial burdens. This is a huge shift in life circumstances that could never have been predicted or financially prepared for.
When Rich wakes up from this nightmare the last thing we want him to be concerned with is his bills. He will need all of his strength just to learn how to walk, talk, eat, and breathe again.
Please feel free to look back at his journey on the Caringbridge page that was set up back in early April.
Our family and Denise are the most appreciative of all of the support we have received and people have asked us how to help. As bad as it can be is only more intensified when the paychecks aren’t coming in but the bills keep coming.
Thank you you in advance for any donations you make in his name and feel free to share this post. We so appreciate the continued prayers.
As an update-
Rich lost his battle with the flu and pneumonia on 5/1/19. Your donations will now help with funeral expenses as well.
Rest In Peace Rich.
4/14/66 —-5/1/19.
Organizer and beneficiary
Deb Heying
Organizer
Avon, MN
Denise Halfman
Beneficiary