My name is Peter Stellatos. I’m 63 years old. I have one daughter and two grandbabies whom I love very much. I’m originally from Illinois; however, I currently reside in the state of Texas. I moved to Texas to care for my 93-year-old father.
I had a massive heart attack 18 months ago. I was hospitalized for several days and was discharged from the hospital feeling better with no more difficulty breathing or chest pain. I was a happy camper and was very grateful to still be alive today. During my time in the hospital, I was given two angioplasty stents to keep my heart working properly. When I was admitted to the ER, my heart was 100 percent blocked.
Fast forward to the following year, I got really sick from the medications that I was prescribed for my stents and blood pressure. I was never able to find an alternative to the medication, and for that reason, I just recently became aware that I am now diagnosed with end-stage heart failure. I had a bad experience just recently and went into cardiac arrest, quit breathing, and collapsed on my bathroom floor. It’s been extremely difficult to just make it through one day. I’ve been in and out of the hospital several times. I can’t breathe well anymore; it’s taken a toll on me and my family, to say the least.
For two months now, I’ve had a defibrillator life vest that I have to keep on 24 hours, except for when I take a shower. Its purpose is to shock my heart if it suddenly quits beating or if I were to go into cardiac arrest again. It saddens me that it’s gotten to this point.
I am creating this fundraiser in hopes to cover some of the medical expenses so that my dad, my daughter, and other family don’t have to. I’ve never done this type of thing before. I never thought I would be at this level or point in my life. I would appreciate any support during this time. Thank you for reading my story. I appreciate it dearly.