My name is Denny, and I’m reaching out to ask for help for one of the best people I know—my friend Brian Roach. Brian’s only 55 years old and the kind of guy who’d give you the shirt off his back, crack a joke to lighten your day, and work harder than anyone to take care of the people he loves. But right now, he’s facing a battle he can’t fight alone—a serious heart condition that’s turned his life upside down.I’m asking for your support to ease the burden on him and his family during this unimaginably tough time.

Brian’s a family man through and through. He’s a devoted husband, a proud dad to two beautiful daughters, and a rock for the pair of nephews he practically raised as his own. In a few months, he’s supposed to welcome his first grandchild—a moment he’s been dreaming about. He’s also the heart of a wide circle of friends who adore him. To know Brian is to love him—he’s kind, generous, and always ready with a laugh.

A few years ago, Brian and a friend poured everything into starting their own plumbing service company. They built it up to six trucks, serving their community with grit and determination. Then COVID hit, and like so many small businesses, they took a brutal blow—down to just two trucks. Brian didn’t give up. He rolled up his sleeves, went back to doing the work himself, and has been steadily digging his family out of debt ever since. He’s a fighter.

But a few weeks ago, that fight took a turn he never saw coming. Brian thought he was coming down with a cold or flu—something he could shake off with a few days of rest. Days he couldn’t really afford to take. When he didn’t get better and started struggling to breathe, he figured it might be pneumonia. Without insurance, he held off seeing a doctor as long as he could. When he finally went in, the truth was so much worse: Brian was in congestive heart failure. His lungs, face, hands, and feet were filling with fluid.

Tests and an exploratory procedure revealed his heart is in bad shape—too weak for medication to fix much. He needs bypass surgery, but the doctors aren’t even sure he’s strong enough to survive it. Through all of this, the bills keep coming. Mortgage, electric, water, gas, groceries—they don’t stop, even when life does. Brian’s a hard-working man who’s had his ability to provide ripped away, and it’s breaking my heart to see him and his family under this stress. That’s why I’ve started this fundraiser. We’re aiming to raise money to cover his essential bills and give him some breathing room as he fights for his health. Every dollar will go toward keeping a roof over his family’s head, the lights on, and food on the table—lifting a weight off his shoulders so he can focus on getting through this. Brian’s spent his life taking care of others. Now, it’s our turn to take care of him.

If you can spare anything—a few dollars, a prayer, or even just sharing this page—it’ll mean the world to him and his family. Thank you for helping my friend, a man who deserves every bit of kindness we can give.

With gratitude,

Denny D. Hickson