My name is Vanessa. On May 22, 2025, my husband, Mauro, was hospitalized after going to the ER with shortness of breath. His oxygen levels were in the 60s (normal range is above 92) and his blood pressure was extremely high.
He was hospitalized from May 22 – June 2.
While that week and a half was extremely difficult on us and our family who helped us with our three young children, we know we have a difficult health and expensive journey ahead of us.
During Mauro’s stay at the hospital, the doctors found weakness to his right side of the heart that stemmed from being overworked when he was breathing. Mauro’s lungs hold too much of the carbon dioxide we are supposed to breathe out (our normal levels range from 35-45 and he was at 102).
Mauro is now on oxygen throughout the day and needs to wear a BiPAP ventilation machine to help him breathe and extract the carbon dioxide from his lungs at night.
While the medical costs have added up, our biggest urgency at the moment is making sure we have enough money to cover his immediate medical needs as well as our living expenses.
Like many, we are a two-income household. Mauro is a truck driver who now has a driving restriction until his medical team determines otherwise. As a social worker myself, I often encourage others to ask for help and this is me now listening to my own advice and asking for help.
I ask for your help in any way you can. No amount is too little.
