Support Robert's Heart Transplant Journey

Meet my loving father, Robert. You may know him as a loving husband and a father of his three daughters. Or even as a former coworker from his nearly twenty years in the Union through Local 131, from his welcoming presence around the community, or from the various activities my siblings and I participated in while growing up. You may even know him as a friendly stranger who is always willing to lend a hand when possible, whether that is with his time, experience, or even a tool that he has in his barn. Beyond this, you may just know of him from the various kinds of online groups he is a part of, mostly revolving around his passion for homesteading. Wherever you may know him or our family from, I truly hope that you can see how truly special he is, even if you don’t know him personally.

After he had a STEMI heart attack back in 2020, it has been a persistent struggle with the various trips in and out of the hospital. Although the function of his heart was very low then, it gradually regained a portion of its function back, with the help of a variety of great doctors and modern technology, as well as the sweet messages and prayers from loved ones.

Throughout these rough years he has been preserving and enjoying several hobbies that have been shared through the community, from the tools he has been able to make in his forge, to the time he has dedicated to canning and making hot sauce, and to the love that has only grown for our large flock of chickens. Even with all of the difficulties in his life that he has faced, especially in the last couple years, my father is truly one of the most loving and charismatic individuals that I know. He has always had the mentality where he is always busy with something and helping those around him. From welding tools back together, to driving out of state to help his friends with their needs, to donating the excess eggs to our local food pantry, he has demonstrated a special kind of thoughtful spirit that I could only wish to have a fraction of myself. With this, he is also incredibly talented and has been able to pick up on nearly any skill he has ever put his mind to, which he has enthusiastically shared with whoever has wanted to learn themselves.

Unfortunately, his condition has only been worsening, as he is currently hospitalized and on an assist pump for his heart, and is in need of a heart transplant. With this, the costs are starting to pile up. These costs range from his medical bills, to the cost of a hotel room to stay with him there (as he has to stay near the hospital for two weeks after the procedure), as well as the expenses that will come with the various trips that will be required to take following the transplant (e.g. hotel costs, food, gas, etc.). Any donations would be extremely helpful to manage the financial stress that my family has experienced during this difficult time, leaving more space to focus on the love we have for my father and his healing journey.

Although he has done his best to live his life to the fullest up to this point, with your help it could allow him to spend many more years with his loving family and friends to enjoy his retirement with. Your generosity will forever be appreciated by my family. Thank you.