Hello everyone! Alan lives with congestive heart failure, and with a very low ejection fraction of less than 15%. In May of this year, Alan went to the hospital at OSF in Peoria, Illinois. After a blood test, it showed he was sepsis, and not only that, it was in the bloodstream. He needed to be on a strong antibiotic for 6 weeks. We had planned a family vacation to travel to the Northeast. All of his doctors okayed travel, and he finished the antibiotics during the first week of their vacation. 1 week later, (June 20th) he was rushed to a small hospital in northern Vermont. The infection had come back with a vengeance. The doctors feared that infection had spread to his implanted CRT-D device and would need to be removed. The small hospital did not have the capability to perform this type of surgery, so they arranged a transfer to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire. The day that he was to be transferred, Alan aspirated. He had to be intubated and sedated. Once he was stable, but still intubated, he was then transferred to Dartmouth where they removed his device. The devices could be replaced until the infection was gone, which could take months. In the meantime, without his devices, he is dependent on a drug that can only be given intravenously to help his heart pump fluid off his heart. While they are taking great care of him at Dartmouth, Alan wanted to be home in Illinois at his home hospital, (OSF), with his own doctors taking care of him. The doctors here and at home believed the only way he could get back to Illinois was through a medical flight for which Medicare denied coverage. Therefore, they moved to plan B, and they continued to take fluid off him with the help of the heart medicine called dobutamine, with the possibility that he and his wife could drive home. Alan has now been in the hospital since June 20th and though there have been times that he has moved forward, he has many set backs. Now the doctors and family have concluded it's time to keep him comfortable. All of this time, many expenses have begun to mount up. Even though Alan may not be with us much longer, the financial burden will still fall on his wife Becky. Ever since Alan moved to Yates City in 1982, he has volunteered, donated to "City" projects, and helped out individuals in need in our community. He was a volunteer fireman for 20 years. He served on the park board for 2 years, 1 year as President. For many years he helped with the Harvest Home Festival, everything from building stages with lights to cooking pork chops, from renting the grills to running for supplies. Alan's skilled workmanship is visible all around town. And even though he was paid, he is responsible for such projects as the construction of all the "Welcome to Yates City"signs and many of the improvements at Harvest Home park. He has also volunteered at his church from serving meals to the homeless to working security. If you are able to support Alan and Becky Blankenship in any way that would take a great burden off his wife Becky and would be greatly appreciated.
Artículos relacionados
