John Short Sr. needs our help

Many of you know this man. Maybe he has trained dogs, hunted or participated in field events with you. Maybe you have benefited from his generosity through a meal, a helping hand, or an informal chat. Maybe he has gone to bat for you or prayed with you. Maybe you know of him through his son, John Short Jr., pastor of Maine Life Gate Christian Church in Limerick, or through his years with Union Local 976, most notably at Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant in New Hampshire or as the "J" in J&A's Brittanys hunting dog breeding program. Maybe you are lucky enough to call him family or friend. Or maybe you don’t know him at all, but your life would be richer if you did.

John and Ann Short

John Short Sr. of Acton, Maine, would do anything for anyone in need -- family, friend, neighbor or complete stranger -- if it was within his power.  John is a devoted family man who is dedicated to his wife Ann, and always has time for his son and daughter and their spouses and his grandchildren. 

John and Ann with their family from Christmas 2009

John is a strong, take-charge kind of guy who takes care of everyone else and never asks for help for himself. But now John needs our help.

On Saturday, December 15, John barely survived a form of heart attack nicknamed “The Widow Maker.” He was, true to his usual routine, training dogs when he was struck down by severe chest pain.

John was working with Sokka, one of the pups from his and Ann's breeding program, just about an hour before his heart attack.

His wife, Ann Short, and his daughter, Maryann Day, were able to get him to medical help. He was transported via ambulance to the local hospital, then by helicopter to Maine Medical Center where stents were installed to help his heart function more normally.

John had 100 percent blockage in one artery, and 70 percent in three more, requiring open heart surgery that resulted in five bypasses. He has a long recovery ahead to heal, rebuild strength and make changes that will ensure he is around for those who love him.

The Shorts are retired and in the category of Mainers who fall through the cracks of the insurance industry’s lack of affordable policies. They have no insurance. John’s helicopter transport, pre-major surgery procedures, open heart surgery, hospital stay, doctors and post-operative treatment and all of the other things that go with them are going to cost somewhere in the range of $250,000-$300,000.

We, as close friends of the Shorts, have taken it upon ourselves to ask for help on their behalf, as they never would. We know for certain that whatever your generosity compels you to give will be paid forward in acts of kindness by John and his family once he’s fully recovered. Please consider helping this amazing man. The bills are already coming in.

John and his best friend Jack Dog (2005-2017)