By writer to www.fox13news.com
Military veteran anxiously waits for coronary heart transplant
Justin Matthews reviews
TAMPA, Fla. – 5 weeks in the past, at 49 years previous, Hector Fernandez was admitted to the coronary intensive care unit at Tampa Basic Hospital and has been on coronary heart pumps ever since.
Fernandez was identified with a genetic coronary heart situation seven years in the past and docs mentioned it might finally progress to the purpose he would wish a coronary heart transplant.
Sadly, that point has come.
“So I might need to attend a number of weeks. I’ll have to attend a number of months till that new coronary heart comes with the matching donor,” Fernandez mentioned.

His spouse, Amy has been by his aspect, however COVID-19 restrictions hold him from seeing his 4 kids in individual.
“I’m not going to have the ability to go dwelling till I get a transplant,” Fernandez mentioned.
Fernandez is a veteran of the Military. He enlisted in 1994 and was stationed at Ft. Benning. After a yr of coaching, he was stationed in Germany after which was deployed to Bosnia on a peace-keeping mission.
After Bosina, he went to Macedonia for a UN mission, then Kosovo within the late 90s. Fernandez additionally did two excursions in Afghanistan.
“That is by far the toughest problem I’ve achieved, being remoted and away from dwelling and my household,” Fernandez mentioned. “I’m in a position to do it due to the nurses and the docs right here at Tampa Basic who’ve actually achieved their greatest to maintain my feelings and my perspective up and robust.”
Memorial guitar for veterans, by a veteran
A Tampa guitar teacher who designs unimaginable hand-made guitars has been engaged on an additional particular undertaking. He is constructing a customized guitar for one among his college students who misplaced two brothers in Afghanistan. It has been an emotional journey as he crafts this musical memorial.
MORE: Veteran guitar instructor creating memorial instrument for fallen service members
To get out of the hospital and again together with his household, he has to get a transplant. Nonetheless, that comes with one other sacrifice that another person has to make, leaving him with a psychological burden.
“I can’t pray for it as a result of for me to get a coronary heart would imply one other household goes by a tragedy, one other particular person to lose his life so mine may very well be saved, and all I can do is sit right here and take it daily and if one comes, and there may very well be some good popping out of any individual’s tragedy, then I hope to be value it and to reside one of the best life I can do after that,” Fernandez mentioned.
He says he was the first supply of earnings for his household, including to his considerations.
The Fernandez household hopes for donations to assist pay for Hector’s medical payments.
A GoFundMe account has been established to assist the household at https://www.gofundme.com/f/father-and-veteran-in-need-of-heart-transplant.
— to www.fox13news.com