Nearly $45K raised for man visiting Canada who fell seriously ill over the holidays
A GoFundMe has raised nearly $45,000 towards the medical bills of a man who became seriously ill while visiting family in Canada.
David Verlander came to Calgary to spend the holidays with his daughter for the first time in 10 years when, on Christmas Day, he “fell critically ill” and was admitted to intensive care and could not breathe for himself.
The doctors later established that the infections were bacterial pneumonia and viral Influenza.
“To complicate matters further, he also developed Group A Streptococcus in his lungs,” stated an update posted on December 28, 2022.
“He was initially on broad-spectrum antibiotics, but having identified the specific type of bacteria causing the infection, he’s now being given the corresponding antibiotics.”
The latest update, posted on January 3, 2023, provided better news on Verlander’s condition, saying that dialysis was helping move some of the toxins and leftover sedation out of his system.
“He is showing signs that he is starting to wake up — he responds to our voices, music and certain commands. We were very happy that he squeezed my hand when we told him he missed the 9 darter in the final today. It is moving slow but in the right direction.”
The recent update also added that the hospital bill has now surpassed $100,000, and the family is “doing all we can to fundraise and get as much support as possible.”
The GoFundMe has received nearly 700 donations and £27,794, working out to almost $45,000 Canadian.