I'm not normally one to ask for help, but a friend is/has lost his wife today & as a 100% disabled vet will be unable to afford to pay his bills, let alone all the medical bills and funeral expenses. If you find it in you're heart to give please do.

HELP! DONATIONS NEEDED TO SUPPORT ONE OF OUR OWN MEMBERS!

We've recently been made aware that Donna Sue, wife of one of our most active members, Don (AKA Wolfman), is in a deep coma and has suffered severe brain damage as a result of what appeared initially to be a simple lung infection which has quickly progressed to a much more serious condition. Both of Donna's kidneys are near failure and her liver HAS failed.

Don is in desperate need of monetary funds. He's much too proud to ask for monetary help, but as the administrator of Air Force Security Police.com, I am asking on his behalf for your assistance in providing any donations you might be able to provide during this most tragic period. Don is a former USAF Security Specialist, and was discharged with a service-related medical condition. He relies on his VA check for most of his household bills, and Donna Sue's checks normally pay for the grocery and usables bills.

If you can spare any donation, please do so by either clicking on the following PayPal link to make a donation through PayPal or by sending a check made payable to Don Farnsworth to the following address:

Click Here For More Information

The following are posts from Don (Wolfman)

My wife was being seen by a local doctor for a simple lung infection. Yesterday, she got home from work and almost passed out. We thought it might be from the desert heat. I patched up her few booboos and all was OK.

Later that night, she started to develop a breathing problem. We debated going to the emergency room but decided to hold out til morning so we could see her usual doctor. Getting ready for the walk-in appointment, she went into respiratory arrest.

I laid her down and started rescue breathing (I'm an ex-EMT). She had a seizure lasting maybe 45 seconds and then all vitals went flat. I started full CPR, grabbed the portable and notified 911. Roughly four minutes later, LACFD paramedics arrived. I continued to assist CPR until the junior medic connected an airway/ambu bag. They put her on a monitor and she had a faint heart rate. Her heart rate continued to improve but she couldn't breath on her own.

At Lancaster Community Hospital ER, her managing doctor said that she has a full blown case of pneumonia. In the course of events, her brain was deprived of oxygen due to her lungs being full of blood and mucus. At the moment, she suffers mini-seizures at the rate of 3-4 per minute. Twice in the ER and again upon arriving the ICU, her lung drainage container had to be changed, the first two contained mostly blood. Her breathing is assisted by a respirator.

I had to return home having been up since 0800 hrs yesterday. Shortly, a neurosurgen and a lung specialist will be examining her. They are to call me at home with an update. After a few hours of sleep, I'll return to the hospital ICU.

My baby, my rock, my center is unconscious, non-responsive and having seizures. I don't know what to do.

Wolfman: out

2307 hrs -

The neurosurgeon assigned to my wife, Donna, called to give me an update after his review of her CT scan. The injury to her head caused an edema (a collection of fluid and pressure) in her brain that formed rapidly. Coupled with the lack of oxygen due to the fluid in her lungs from pneumonia, she's in a deep coma.

The neurosurgeon gave her seven to ten days to pull through. He advised that I should discuss with my family the option of disconnecting the respirator after that.

He says that young people, Donna is 45, stand a fair chance of pulling through. Considering the total effect on her system at this point, he refuses to give any sign of which way my sweet Donna Sue will go. My heart is breaking.

I'm out.

Thank you everyone. This site is my "other" family and my frontline support group.

Darrell, my Navy son, came up from San Diego Naval Base last night. Once all of my kids were together, I sat them down and brought them up to date. Many tears later, we are hanging tough. In just a few minutes, I'll be leaving to go be with my wife. Her dad and brother will be coming up from the south end of Los Angeles.

My daughter has pulled together the support of her church. She and her hubby both work there. I'm not a religious person but my wife is. At this point, I want to pull out all the stops and help get my wife through these next seven to ten days. If you at this site who are Christian want something to pray about, pray that Donna isn't feeling any pain, that she does make it through, that my family stays focused and together.

Scotty:

Should Donna not make it, as a brother from my AFSP.net family, I want you to represent my family from the religious end. I don't do well with pastors, priests, but Donna would want some back up from the religious sector. I'll be shooting you a site IM with my contact info. Understand that my finances are not that great, that I can't even help with gas. I leave it up to you if you want to take that responsibility that I hand off to you. Let me know.

Thanks again, everyone. The doctor's outlook is bleak at best. I'm doing what I can to maintain my family clan but any help I can get from you folks would sure help on the emotional side.

Wolfman: out

I got to the hospital 0900 this morning. The pulmonology doc said that due to the decrease in oxygen levels because of the pneumonia, Donna's heart, kidneys and liver had been damaged. A second EEG was taken about lunch time today. I'm waiting to hear an update from pulmonology and neuro doctors. Currently, her condition is "extreme critical."

Family from all over California came by to visit Donna and I. We have some kin back in Texas who will be out sometime this weekend. My father-in-law, ex-USAF AP, spotted me a couple hundred to help get food in the house. On Saturday's, that's when Donna goes shopping.

Me and Donna's brother each bought her some flowers. She loves mixed flowers. ICU said we couldn't bring them in because almost everyone in ICU was on O-2. I hung some pictures of our family by her hospital bed.

Her coma has advanced. She keeps her eyes open more but this is nothing more than the pressure inside of her head building up. Yesterday, she at least moved her hands and arms. Today, they're limp. While I was with her today, I spoke to her; I told her that I loved her. Donna's eyes would pool up as if she were crying.

Wolfman

After a brief turn of what we thought were positive events this morning, I spoke to Donna's neurologist. He told me that Donn'a condition remains at extreme critical. She remains in a deep coma, has suffered severe brain damage, her liver completely failed, both kidneys are near failing and they're keeping a close watch on her heart. Her doctor advised me that he wants to give Donna until the end of this week to see if there will be any improvements, provided her heart doesn't fail first. If no improvements are made, he wants to sit down with me to discuss alternatives.

I have already spoken to my kids and we decided that none of us want to see Donna go through any more pain and suffering.

Scotty:

Thank you so much , bro, for becoming my family's religious spokesman. I need the face-to-face support of a site brother right now. Donna and our kids need your religious support. All three kids are taking today's news very badly, especially Don Jr. I'll be waiting to see you tomorrow. Call me at my cell number.

All of my family will be meeting at my house tonight for dinner so we can spend time together. After dinner, I'll probably be at the hospital all night until I see you in the morning.

I wish I had my site brothers/sisters here now. I need your support so bad.

Wolfman: out

Monday update:

I got to the hospital about 0445 this morning. I don't have that much to report except that I was able to speak to the Pulmonary doctor. He confirms that Donna's liver has failed, her kidneys are very close to doing so and he's very interested in the damage to her heart. Further, his main concern is the brain damage and the as yet unknown total effect to the crainal mass.

What it boiled down to today was that where there was no sign of any improvement. For the first time since Friday morning, the doctors didn't give me a report that was worse than the one before. With the way things have been going, this was itself good news.

Scotty came up today - finally, a site brother! A gentleman if there ever was one. He prayed over Donna a couple times, then, he did something related to "salvation." At that point, I was watching the vitals monitor and Donna started reacting to what Scotty was saying. She can hear what's going on but can't react to it in any otherwise physical way. The monitor was going crazy for roughly 30-45 seconds until he stoped talking. I told him about it. Maybe when he logs on later he'll say something about it. Scotty and I had a decent late breakfast at Denney's, went back to the hospital, and from there, I had to call it a day. I need 24 hours of uninterupted sleep. Once I get up, I'll be heading back out to see and be with Donna.

I really need to get ahold of SgtWoody, one of the closest SP brothers I have at this site but I haven't had any time. I need to give him a call but I'm so damn dog tired right now I can hardly see straight. If you guys see Mike logged on in another thread, have him read this one then give me a call.

Also, everyone help me thank Scotty for taking the time out of his holiday away from his family to drive two hours up this way, spend time with my family and I then drive two hours back towards El Toro.

Thanks everyone for all of your help. I'll post again later. It helps to talk about this tragedy in our family with my air cop family at AFSP.net. Ya'll take care now. It's 1327 hrs. Good night all.

Wolfman: out

On the west coast, it's 2105. I just got up, threw some water in my face and turned on the computer to get caught up. Now that I've got about eight hours of rock solid sound sleep, I can see a little more clearly.

I just listened to my home phone messages, read the posts that have been left since I went to bed and I am amazed, if not shocked, to see the response of my brothers and sisters of my beloved Bond. As my heart aches with the thought of my wife laying helpless in her hospital bed and the words expressed here, my eyes are welling up again for the umteenth time in the last four and a half days. My heart goes out to all of my air cop family for your support.

I am about to go to the hospital to be with Donna. I'll be there through the night. Knowing that we could lose Donna to heart failure, I'm trying to be with her as much as I can. I see that my best friend, Mike, is logged in and I want a chance to talk with him on the phone. Take care everyone and thank you so very much. Thank you.

Wolfman (Don): out

ALCON:

Guys and gals, brothers and sisters of my air cop family, all of you have helped so much just by logging on and giving me, Donna and my Lancaster family your support. I am indebted to you all. Some of you have asked for my home address. For those who don't have it yet, I'll PM as you ask for it or you can get it from ccthomp.

Today has been a very busy and nerve wrecking day. Donna's family was up here and all of us went over what might happen should Donna pass on. I won't go into that here and now.

The doctor's suspect that Donna's kidneys failed today. The next in line is her heart - a heart specialist has been called in to get a better idea of where her heart stands after the damage that's been done to it.

Darrell had to report in at San Diego Naval Station today after spending the weekend here with the rest of us. His MasterChief pushed a request for emergency leave to his C/O - it was approved in less than 5 min. by what Darrell says. The Navy is putting him on a plane tonight.

We're all hoping for the best but by what the doctors are saying, at best, Donna will be a vegatable who will need an immediate liver and kidney transplant should she pull out of the deep coma, which they all agree as being unlikely. They can't operate to relieve pressure on her brain until the pnumonia clears up and even then, she has to be able to tolerate being put under with failing vital organs, again, which the doctors see as being unlikely. The longer the pnumonia lasts, the greater the pressure and damage to her brain. The greater the brain damage, the greater the possibility of heart failure.

They give us to Friday before having to make a decision whether or not to shut off the respirator and that's in the event that heart failure doesn't claim Donna's life first.

That is the situation my family faces. And, everyone is turning to me for answers.

Wolfman: out

Wed 1542 hrs.

I just got back from an AM VA appointment. AFBoy and SL, hey bros, get the info from CCThomp, OK? I have to run after this post to the hospital to check on Donna.

I'm expecting to get an update from Neuro and Pulmonary tonight. I'll be at the hospital until 2400 hrs, if not later. Reports from my daughter say that Donna is not looking good today. I'm out of here.

Wolfman: out

Update:

One of the main problems I am facing beyond the immediate bill and grocery fund was how am I going to pay for a 300,000.00 to 500,00.00+ dollar hospital bill on a DAV's pay.

I'm 100% disabled DAV. As such, Donna qualified for ChampVA. By chance, I had a current ChampVA bill on my desk. I called to see if we owed anything since I am now doing the bills. They told me that out of the last charge of nearly 200.00 dollars, my share of cost was a tad over ten dollars. I advised them of Donna's current situation. Under their Catastrophic Injury clause, Donna qualified for coverage. At most, I will owe ChampVA for my share of cost, 1,500.00 dollars. ChampVA will pick up the rest of the tab - ER, ICU, doctors, labs, ambulance, whatever.

Donna's sitiation is riding the razor's edge at the moment. Her heart was damaged by lack of oxygen. Now, her heart rate is staying steady at 136 beats per minute, about double of what it should be. Doctors are worried that her damaged heart cannot take such a rate for long before giving out. I will be at the hospital until sometime tomorrow (Thursday). Wish us well.

Thank you again, all of you, for your support in my family's time of need. I do so appreciate it.

Nate: What can I say to you, my brother? Thank you so very much!

I'll post again sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Wolfman: out

As a member of this remarkable air cop website it's been so incredibly helpful these last few days to be able to post what I'm going through, to deal with my pain and grief in a non-self destructive way during this most traumatic time, and to witness the over-powering support for my family and I coming from brother and sister cops. Let it not be said that our-age old Bond of the Blue Beret is dead. You fine people - your actions, your compassion and depth of heart are the living proof that we can disagree, squabble, be mad at each other at times but when duty calls, to be able to step out from behind those cyber-walls we erect and to cover the six of a fellow air cop.

When I last logged on, I saw what Nate had done with the banner. So overwhelmed at what I saw, I copied the main page and the contents of the link. I got to the hospital last night and showed the pages to my kids and the night shift nurses of Lancaster Community Hospital ICU. My daughter, Deniece, and my oldest son, Don Jr, were shocked, for lack of a better term, at what they read. My youngest son, Darrell, arrived at the hospital just prior to me on emergency leave (instead of taking a plane, a family friend drove him home). He nodded his head and smiled with a certain pride knowing what the military brotherhood was like. Tanya, my wife's nurse, comes from a military family. She openly cried after reading Nate's plea for assistance. As I sit here typing out this post, I still don't know what to say that could sufficiently thank him for his efforts.

I'm home now for some horizontal rest and to get caught up on the bill/financial situation. I have a write out a few checks, put my shopping list together, get a couple hours of sleep, do my shopping then I'll head back to the hospital.

Donna's heart rate dropped only slightly to 125 over the course of the night. That's not enough though and ICU tensions are high if not concerned. Her failed liver has stopped cleaning the blood of impurities; her skin tone and eyes are begining to show the build up of toxins if her system. Although her kidneys have showed a rebound, she has developed an infection. Vigorous amounts of different antibiotics are being administered as the ICU team are doing all they can to help Donna.

I'm worn out and soon I'll be between the sheets. My daughter is making sure I eat well; she's bringing me food at the hospital constantly and making sure I eat what she brings me. I have a couple e-mails I have to get out to site brothers so I'll sign off for now.

Wolfman: out

I spoke to Donna's respiratory doctor this morning. He says that Donna will never wake up again and that her heart has suffered sever damage due to the lack of oxygen and the rapid heart rate over the past night.

Taking everything into consideration and after speaking with members of my family, I authorized a DNR order (Do Not Resuscitate) in the event of cardiac arrest.

Further, Donna's neurologist and I had our talk. Friday, Sept. 9, family will gather at 0900 hrs. at LCH ICU, say their last goodbye's, then I will give the order to terminate life support.

Wolfman: out

GUYS: I just spoke with WOLF. On his way back to the hospital he was involved in a traffic collission. He is currently at the hospital his wife is at. He is in a "C" collar and they are going to take an x-ray. He says he is intact and that he will be ok. Considering all he has been through I can't imagine hime going through this too.

I told him I would post an update to the site for him since he was at the hospital. I am leaving tomorrow morning at 0 dark thirty in the AM to drive out and be with Don and his family when they stop the life support for Donna. I would like to pray for her, comfort her, reassure her, and most of all be their to support Don(Wolf).

Please pray for my safe passage as it is about 115 miles one way from my house out to the hospital and on the crazy So Cal freeway system, anything goes. Everyone involved in this feels YOUR love and support as fellow brothers.

Don has also asked me to preside over the funeral services for Donna, most likely next week. I will advise everyone when and where that will take place if you would like to send flowers.

I again Love You all and appreciate your support of Don, Donna, and their family.

God Bless You ALL smile.gif

scotty

This is Wolfmans last post Friday AM

0013 hrs. Pacific time:

The Lancaster Community Hospital ER let me come home long enough to get cleaned up and grab some of my VA pain meds in light of Donna's situation. Then, I have to report in at the ICU.

On the way back to the hospital after a dinner with my daughter, some fool t-boned my daughter's car the right front pass side where I was sitting. Paramedics took care of me and transported to LCH ER. Four x-rays later, my neck and spine are OK but I suffered some right side deep muscle damage in my neck & shoulder area from being thrown about in the car which is totaled. My daughter is fine other than being emotionally shaken up on top of her mom's condition.

Donna is resting comfortably. Neuro has decreased rapidly. We are hoping that her heart gives out in her deep coma rather than having to go through tomorrow's ordeal. Her heart is acting radically in its weakened state. All family has been notified and agrees with my decision, but that fails to make my task tomorrow any less painful.

You are my family of air cop brothers and sisters; please be by my side in spirit. Give all of us the strength we will need, including Scotty who is putting so much of himself into our tragedy.

I have a time limit to get back to the hospital so I must leave now.

Thank you everyone so much for your continued support. Thank you.

Wolfman: out