My Father, My Hero

My Father, My Hero
My Father, My Hero

This is just a glimpse into my life since 2010. And the tribulations our family helped our dad through during his fight against Scleroderma.

Hello, my name is Coryna and I'm 22. I'm writing to tell you my story. June is Scleroderma Awareness Month.

My father battled Scleroderma for 13 years, he put up such a heroic fight but ultimately his body grew tired and weak. He passed May 9, 2013.
My dad was always such an energetic person, loved playing and watching sports (especially the Lakers and Dodgers) and engaging in his family and always putting us first.

To see him fall weaker and weaker through my life and often times, needing my immediate emergency help, hurt my heart in a way no one should ever have to feel pain. In 2010, I was 19 years old and five months pregnant with my son. My father had been "down" for a few days, needing to be on his oxygen machine at home and just having no energy. My husband and mom noticed he had stopped breathing and attempted to wake him up. There was no response. I immediately called 911 and the operator told me CPR needed to be performed. My husband picked up my dad from the couch and placed him on the floor. I was the only one who knew CPR. I began to perform the emergency procedures and it was one of the most traumatic events of my life. Being 5 months pregnant and attempting to resuscitate my lifeless father on the floor, is something I'd never imagined in my life I'd have to do. I was emotional and couldn't give him accurate breaths so my husband took initiative and asked me how to do it. So while he administered breaths, and I did chest pumps, we were able to keeps his heart quivering until the paramedics arrived 6 minutes later and were able to perform other emergency procedures on him. Those were the longest 6 minutes of our lives. After being in the hospital for 2 weeks, he came home. We helped him re-learn to walk, and helped him with his everyday tasks.
In August of 2013, my dad was again "down". He went to the hospital and was admitted. They found that he had a blood clot in his lung. After handling that, he began to have a series of infections. And for the next 8 months he would have a tracheotom, and a feeding tube inserted into his stomach. He alternated between a nursing facility and the hospital.

I got married April 21, 2013 at the nursing facility my dad was at. That was my dream wedding. A nurse was able to wheel him down the "aisle" while I walked alongside him. He passed May 9, 2013 at 50 years old. Please help us to spread awareness about this rare disease and help aide our efforts to finding a cure.

 

All active news articles