Richard Almash Bring Richard Home

On September 24th my brother, Richard, walked into an emergency room near his Florida home because he hadn't been feeling well for some time.  Within 24 hours he was in the intensive cardiac care unit with dangerously low blood pressure and a failing heart. It took doctors a week to stabilize him enough to return him to a regular room, and that is where he remains while they try to sort out what caused so much damage to his heart. While we are all doing our best to keep a positive attitude, the fact is his life will never be the same. 

In a short time Richard learned that he will no longer be able to live on his own; he will have to give up his home and the business he has owned for more than twenty years. He will need constant care and, eventually, a heart transplant.

That news is hard enough, but it is compounded by the fact that he does not have health insurance. Because of that, the medical bills are mounting, and his care is limited until we can find a way to get insurance in place (which we are trying to do). 

There is a lot I can say about the fact that Richard was forced to drop his health coverage because he could no longer afford the excessive premiums on top of a $6,000 deductible. Or the fact that he couldn't access appropriate medical care before he landed in the emergency room. But right now, all we want is to bring Richard home--first to his home in Florida so we can help him do the work of selling his house, then home to New York so we can continue getting him care.

In order to be released from the hospital, we needed to raise money for a LifeVest that will help keep his heart beating, and a special chair that he must stay in to help with his circulation--both of which we had to pay for upfront. We also need to get him a health aid to stay with him when family is not available, and what feels like a million other things to help him tie up the loose ends of his current life. 

Because this is how we fund healthcare in a country that does not value the lives of those who cannot afford to pay, I have created a Go Fund Me page to ask for help. Anything you can give is appreciated. Please feel free to share this page widely.