Fischer Fight For Hope

No one is sent by accident to anyone. People cross our paths for a variety of reasons. To teach us, to show us, to encourage us, to challenge us, to heal us, to love us, and to inspire us to name a few. Sometimes, if we are lucky, there’s a person who does all those things in your life. I didn’t know at the time that David Fischer would be that person. And not only for me, but each member of the Gaertner family and many others.

David unexpectedly lost his father to an aggressive form of sarcoma cancer. Instead of comfort and healing, what followed was relentless losses.

For over 15 years, David has lived in the operating room. Since losing his dad twenty years ago, he has undergone over 100 surgeries. He would eventually be diagnosed with a rare connective tissue and neurological disease, affecting his muscles, nerves, and blood vessels.

It is astounding to realize what his body has been through. He has traveled all across the United States for answers and treatment from top medical experts and hospitals, including Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Cleveland Clinic. He battled through orthopedic, musculoskeletal, neurological, vascular, and plastic reconstruction operations. He has had muscles and ribs removed, nerves and arteries re-routed and repaired, bones cut. He developed major bleeding complications, MRSA and Staph infections, neurological and tissue damage that left it impossible to function. There were moments where his life was at risk and even faced the possibility of a leg amputation as well.

But even with these setbacks, David pushed harder; completing an MBA degree in 2014, hoping to pursue a healthcare administrative fellowship if his health improved. But after completing 12 years of college education and holding advanced doctoral and masters degrees, he has still been unable to work. Ever since, David became more isolated, leading to severe depression and eventually Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Through this GoFundMe, we hope to raise awareness for those living with disabilities. As bad as mental health struggles can be among the general population, those with disabilities are up to five times more likely to experience them, and leading to a greater risk of suicide. David’s story is no exception. One spring night in 2018, David decided to end his life. By God’s grace, he survived that night, but has since been a constant battle.

The financial impact of these events led to the selling of their Pittsburgh home: the house Barbara (his mom) & David were living in was now gone. Barbara also recently received her diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. Her symptoms have progressed rapidly as she experiences significant physical decline. Doctors have advised major neck and shoulder surgeries. The future for mother & son is even more frightening. With no life insurance, nowhere to live, or anything to leave her son, Barbara is concerned what will happen to David when the Lord takes her home. We are banding together, praying and raising money for these numerous needs for this family.

What has been a story of affliction, suffering, pain and loss can still be transformed into a story tinged with beauty, hope, opportunity and service. No matter the story we have landed in, whatever mess we are sinking in, it is never beyond hope or repair. Nothing life has taken away from the Fischer's is beyond hope.

How Your Donations Will Help

Any donation you feel led to give will bring us closer to re-uniting mother & son again. Stable housing is critical for the Fischer's. They have been forced to live apart, temporarily living in different states with nowhere else to go. They have each moved three times this year alone, with all of their remaining belongings left behind in a storage unit in Pittsburgh. Your donation will help provide them a home of their own again back in the Pittsburgh area.

David desires to take classes next year online at Gordon-Conwell University, pursuing a Masters of Theological Studies/Divinity degree. Your donations will support that mission, as David pursues God's calling for pastoral ministry with an emphasis on service and advocacy for those with disabilities and their families. He trusts his personal experiences with disability, battle scars and limitations will not be wasted, and will not be barriers, but rather opportunities and blessings to invest his life and serve the needs of those with similar life stories. This masters degree will help equip and empower David to better holistically serve and minister to those often neglected and forgotten, to plant and nurture love and generosity where it is so desperately needed, and inspire others to be a part of that vision. We invite you to share in this vision of the love of God, to support that mission of restoring purpose, dignity value, relationship, and hope for those in need!

David & Barbara face considerable and continual medical expenses. Despite the extensive damage to David’s body, doctors still believe there are other treatments available to give him a chance in life. These include long-term bone marrow and PRP dissection injections, among many other interventions. Doctors are still hopeful that David can get back to working and enjoying life again! However, these are all out-of-pocket expenses, averaging $1,000-$3,000 a month.

David’s entire medical team advised that a service dog is vital to his recovery. Before researching service dogs and disabilities, I had no idea of all the ways that they could transform a person’s life. Many pet lovers know the value and joy they bring to our lives. For David, however, it could be a lifeline. He also needs assistance to adjust and function in the outside world - in public places and in social settings. But the financial cost and current living situation has prevented him from making this a reality.

Given the overwhelming circumstances before them, the dollar goal we wish to raise is somewhat arbitrary. Specifically, all the funds raised will go toward the Fischer’s immediate needs – stable long-term housing, medical expenses, a service dog, a car, living expenses, and schooling for David. Since Barbara has nothing to leave her disabled son after she passes, we will also be setting up a protected trust for David, providing a secure future for him when she passes.

Your financial gifts and prayers are a bridge of blessing from years of sickness and trauma to a place of HOPE. We pray for God's glory through this story. You can also help through direct contributions, such as gift cards or planned giving to David’s trust. For those who know the Fischer or Gaertner family personally, please feel free to reach out. Please also share with friends, co-workers, your church, your workplace, on social media, and with family. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

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Hope One Body Part At A Time: With all the physical damage and trauma to David’s body, he was in need of a miracle. God provided Dr. Imran Siddiqui, a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor, specializing in orthopedic medicine and musculoskeletal ultrasound in Washington, DC. Dr. Siddiqui has rallied around David, going above and beyond what most doctors are willing to do, providing much needed encouragement, and giving him a reason to keep fighting. He is fully invested in providing David with a new chance in life. Dr. Siddiqui wanted to provide a video on David's behalf below.

https://rosm.org/imran-siddiqui-md/