Friends and family of Warren resident and small-business owner Rick Heaps are rallying behind him as he recovers from emergency surgery following a serious medical episode last week.
According to his sister Sharon Freeman, Heaps was rushed by ambulance to the Grace Hospital on Tuesday evening, where doctors discovered internal bleeding caused by a duodenal ulcer. After an initial procedure to repair the bleeding, he was transferred to Health Sciences Centre when the condition worsened and underwent further surgery.
“He’s now on a long recovery journey,” Freeman said in a public update. “As a small business owner, he has no coverage to assist with payments while he’s unable to work — and unfortunately, the bills don’t stop while you’re medically incapacitated.”
Freeman, along with Deanna Atchison Heaps, has organized an online fundraiser to help Heaps cover his personal and business expenses during his recovery period.
The campaign, hosted on GoFundMe under the title “Help Rick Heaps Recover,” invites community members to contribute or share words of encouragement. Donations can be made at :
www.gofundme.com/f/rick-heapd.
“Thank you to everyone for your help and generosity while Rick focuses on healing,” Freeman said.
