On June 5th, 2025, my Dad was rushed to the ER after coughing up a piece of the graft from a stent put in after having a massive aortic aneurysm in 2006.
In 2006, he had surgery at Arizona Heart Institute because of a 24” tear from his descending aorta all the way to his groin. Arizona Heart Institute has since then denied the fact that my Dad was ever a patient in their facility and has even attempted to erase all records. Luckily, my Dad had a new computer and printer at the time, so there are about 4 copies of everything that was in his medical file.
Then in 2018, he had another aortic aneurysm, this time in his ascending aorta, leading to his second surgery. The stent from the first surgery is now covering spinal cords and pushing against the spine, and the worst part is that the piece that has broken off and somehow been lodged into his esophagus is causing a small leakage of blood and if it bursts, it could cost him his life. Dad is in excruciating pain whenever he’s awake, so tomorrow morning he is going in for surgery. His three major risks are paralysis because of the stent against the spine, stroke, and/or reinfection. As shown in the picture.
“I’m scared,” my Dad told me as he lay in the hospital bed. “Scared?” I asked, confused, because I don’t know my Dad as a scared man. I know my Dad as a bold man, bold as a lion on any normal day. He said, “I’m about to lose everything. My house, my livelihood, possibly even my life…” I swallowed the lump in my throat and told him everything was going to be okay.
These funds would go towards paying the property tax, the water, electric, gas, and the vehicle’s insurance so that he can rest assured, knowing that indeed he will not lose everything for at least the next 3-5 months while he recovers.