Support Emma and Tory After Losing Their Dad

The purpose of this GoFundMe is to help us pay for our dad's funeral costs, pay for a new roof on our home, and buy a reliable used vehicle for my sister and me to share.

My name is Tory, and my identical twin sister is Emma. My parents were loving, full of life, and cherished family. It was the fall of 2010, and I, a vibrant 10-year-old, went into my parent's bedroom to greet Mom with a good morning kiss, but found Mom unresponsive. Unfortunately, we found out that my mom had passed.

Within a few moments, all of our worlds were rocked.

My family prides itself on coming alongside and supporting each other because that is what families do. My Aunt Linda and her sister Sue came alongside their baby brother Rick to move his family back up to NH so we would be close. We spent the last 14 years enjoying our annual family get-togethers for summer birthdays, days at the pool etc. We girls grew up, but not without some trauma from the loss of our Mom. Our small but mighty family loved us through our teenage years and helped wherever possible.

My Dad was diagnosed about 7 years ago with HOCM, which stands for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. This condition occurs when the heart's muscle tissues thicken, making it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively. The thickening can affect blood flow out of the heart, especially in the interventricular septum and ventricles. This type of HCM can cause a narrowing called outflow tract obstruction, which can block or reduce blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta. To overcome the blockage, the ventricles must pump harder, which can increase left ventricular pressures and impair ventricular filling. This can lead to an increased risk of myocardial ischemia, which may cause ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. 

This is where tragedy struck my little family last month. One of his valves had a tear and wasn't working correctly. My Dad was transferred to Boston Mass General Cardiac ICU unit back on June 24th, where a team of world-renowned doctors were coming up with a plan to help save my Dad who was only 60 years old. After weeks of tests and waiting, they scheduled his first open heart surgery a week before the 4th of July. It was a long surgery, 5-8 hours, but he made it through, and doctors were happy with the progress my Dad was making. So, after a long week in the ICU, he began to make progress, and was looking forward to moving to recovery and then home! A day later my sister Emma and I received a call from his doctor that my Dad had gone into cardiac arrest. The doctors said they did everything they could, and now all we could do was wait to see if my Dad would recover. Day after day, his family took turns driving down every day to be with him, and for a few days, we had a glimmer of hope. All the while, we prayed and held out hope that my Dad, my only parent, would come back to his small house in NH.

I will never forget Sunday, July 21st, 2024. my Aunt Linda spoke to Dad's favorite nurse, Jean, over the phone, and with a stern and somber voice, Jean urged that we gather the family and come to the hospital. After everything he had been through, the doctors felt there was nothing else they could do. By 1:45 pm, my sister and I, surrounded by my family from NH, had to make the hardest decision of our lives, and that was to take Dad off life-support. We watched as he drew his last breaths, and within 5 minutes, my only parent, my security, left was now gone.

My Dad was not healthy in his last several years of life; the fact is, we had limited income. Our family has been our rock, making funeral arrangements, helping with bills, and coordinating a meeting with a lawyer to help facilitate the next steps. We have a long road ahead of us and a lot to do. We are in need of prayers, but also for financial help. We have no connections, our parents are both gone, and we have a limited income. We are in need of any donations to help pay for my Dad's funeral. Any and all help would be much appreciated.

Much love,

Emma & Tory