Auction for digi2t - please read!

[madbean]

If you did not know, Dino (digi2t), who is a long standing member of the DIY community, has recently experienced a serious health crisis. You can read all about it here: https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=120622.0

There is currently a GoFundMe campaign to help defray some of the expenses his family is accumulating. I made a small contribution to it but I think I could do more. Given my own recent health crisis and the response I received here makes me wanna!

Anyway, I'm offering up a batch of the soon to be released projects: VFE Standout, Pinball, Dragon, Distortion 3 and an mbp Uber Tuber WITH a 6111 tube included. All of the proceeds will go to the GoFundMe page and the winner gets free shipping, too.

The starting price for the Auction is $25 and will go through Monday night @ 11:59pm CST. If you want to bid just post it here. The highest bid submitted by the deadline will win.

[midwayfair]

Poor Dino!

In case anyone's not on DIYSB but knows Dino through other channels, here's what happened:

Just got off the phone with Dino's wife Debbie.  Jimi's initial post didn't provide any clues as to the seriousness of his state, so I thought I'd phone his home and find out.

A week ago, Dino felt awful, called an ambulance to take him to the closest hospital (Valleyfield, Quebec).  They checked him out, identified something catastrophic and immediately shipped him to Montreal where they performed open-heart surgery on him.  Apparently his ascending aorta ruptured.  They had to basically build him a new one from arterial tissue elsewhere in his body.  Debbie says they left his chest cavity open for 3 or 4 days, in case they had to get back in there again quickly. 

He's had his "front door" closed now for a couple of days.  Over and above the drugged state they kept him in so that sutures would remain unstressed, he is not capable of speech at the moment, because of all the tubes going into his mouth.  Today was the first day that he showed signs of registering what was going on around him, and understanding commands.  There were concerns that he might have suffered some brain damage as a consequence of interrupted cerebral blood flow, but initial signs suggest that the Dino we know and love is still in there, in spite of the drugs and blood loss. 

Debbie said that was the first day she really had been able to exhale and feel a sense of relief.  Initially, the doctors were giving signs that he wouldn't pull through.  I'm pleased to say they were wrong.

It will be a long road back for Mr. Tsiptsis.  Having had my own chest sliced open for bypass surgery 18 years back, it takes a couple of months for your chest to heal.  But that was only thoracic surgery, not open-heart, which is a much bigger deal.  Debbie says he may be up to visitors, so I might pop into Montreal and see if I can bring a little variety to his day.

That's all for now.  A little more drama than I was hoping to hear, but I'm glad the news was good.  I look forward to Dino coming back to us i robust form.  In the meantime, you folks keep tabs on your own blood pressure, and don't let those vessels pop.

ADDENDUM:  Debbie just called to tell me that the challenge Dino endured is technically referred to as an "aortic dissection".  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aortic_dissection  That gives you some idea of the severity.

[zombie_rock123]

Holy f*ck thats crazy. Learnt a lot from his work, hope hes back posting bitchin'stuff in no time. I bid $37.50

[somnif]

My mom had a similar surgery. If they went open heart, then believe it or not he had the one of the less horrible forms of the problem, where its just the vein that's buggered and not the valves. Glad to hear they caught it in time to get him help.

Recovery isn't fun, but you do recover. You spend the first month getting completely wiped out just walking a few steps. Then you can walk a block, then two, and so on. Will probably need to be on some blood pressure meds for some time, but those are nothing too terrible.

Here's hoping for smooth seas ahead.

[Rockhorst]

I'll raise to $50, get this thing going, provided that this is open to international peeps? He's lucky to be alive, from what I read there.

[bsoncini]

Damn. Bummer. I don't know him personally but he seems like a real nice guy.

Luckily he is in Canada. Hopefully the "socialist" insurance there that you always heat American politicians talking about is as good as france. So that he comes out of this with only a 100 dollar bill. And the gofundme can help his family with other expenses.

[EBK]

And the gofundme can help his family with other expenses.

He'll need beer money once the doctors tell him it's ok to have a beer, and he'll need money to throw a party to celebrate being alive. That's an overly simplified way of explaining why I donated to the GoFundMe. 

[cooder]

That's some really tough stuff there, hope he gets better quickly as possible with that!
Hope to see him back at the "Hen's Tooth Cafe" then again creating amazing mind blowing devices of genius!
Get well!

[madbean]

Just a reminder that this auction will end tonight. The current bid is $50 which is less than the retail price of all these items (not that there's anything wrong with that - just pointing it out in case you were planning on buying these items anyway).

[Govmnt_Lacky]

C'mon!!... let's get it going!

I'm in for a C-note ($100)

[dan.schumaker]

I got 105 

[Govmnt_Lacky]

I'm gonna put in a final bid of $125.

Brian... if I do not win, I will cover shipping costs for the whole thing to the winner ANYWHERE so nothing comes out of your pocket and every dime can go to the Dino fund.

SORRY DAN... NOT TRYING TO STEAL ANYONE'S THUNDER. JUST TRYING TO GET THINGS COOKIN'

[madbean]

This is exciting. Thanks guys!

I will sweeten the pot: if the bid goes over $125 I will add in three additional PCBs of the winner's choosing. Anything I currently have in stock!

[Govmnt_Lacky]

This is exciting. Thanks guys!

I will sweeten the pot: if the bid goes over $125 I will add in three additional PCBs of the winner's choosing. Anything I currently have in stock!

WOW Brian. That is extremely generous of you!

So, what you are saying is that for a bid of at least $126, you can get a total of 8 boards and the 6111 tube?!! That's a steal!!

My Shipping offer still stands too.

C'mon guys... dig deep!

[gordo]

I'm in for a buck and a half...