Scleroderma is an autoimmune disorder that causes a buildup of scar tissue on the skin and internal organs. Unfortunately, this disease attacked Ralph’s lungs, causing Pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects arteries in the heart and lungs. The scarring blocks the lungs’ ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. The vessels that carry blood from your heart to your lungs become hard and narrow. Your heart must work extra hard to pump the blood through and your heart weakens and can develop failure. After approximately thirteen years of different treatments, Ralph’s lungs would start to reject the medication and fail.
2007 – Diagnosed with Sclera Derma (CREST SYNDROME)
2011– Diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Aug 2020 – Sent to University Hospital of Pennsylvania for a lung transplant evaluation by Corey Ventetuolo (My Pulmonologist)
Put on the list.
September 2020 (Labor Day Weekend) – Boston Med Flight flew me to Penn from RI Hospital
Placed on ECMO (life support) machine 2-3 weeks.
September 23, 2020 – (Donor Match) Surgery 8 Hours long Dialysis, Cardiac Arrest, 108 Fever, Coded.
3 months of Tracheostomy (Learned how to talk again)
Feeding tube – 6 months no food or drink (Esophagus problems)
Bedridden 8 months.
November 2020 – caught Covid
December 2020 – Good Shepard (Rehab) 3 weeks.
December 31, 2020, Aspiration Pneumonia rushed back to Penn ER for a month.
Jan/Feb 2021 back to Good Shepard 3 weeks
Feb/Mar 2021 – Back to Penn started rehab there 4 days a week 1 hour a day.
April/May 2021 – Sent to VIBRA Hospital New Bedford- Started extensive rehab there daily with walker, parallel bars, weights, learning to walk again!
End of May 2021 – Bacterial Pneumonia- sent to Mass General for 2 weeks
Back to VIBRA
June 2021 – Sent to Silver Creek Nursing Home (Bristol) Worked with walker, weights, and learned bathroom skills again, still learning to walk.
July 26, 2021 – Returned Home!
Aug/Sept 2021 – In house PT for 2 months 3 days a week 1 hour a day, and 2 days occupational therapy.
October 2021 – started at Performance Physical therapy 3 days a week. Now it’s High bar, all exercises to strengthen body and final goal to walk. Started in wheelchair exercises and walker exercises.
April 2023 – Bacterial Pneumonia/Hemoptysis- coded cardiac arrest, revived 3 times, 10 broken ribs from CPR, 2 months in RI Hospital.
Good Sense!
Started training and weight loss calorie count, February 2024, lost 100 pounds to date as of 7/11/2025!
Ralph’s recovery has been extremely difficult. During his hospitalization of 8 months, he fought through the unthinkable. Ralph was on a feeding tube for 6 months, which was the result of his autoimmune disorder. He fought sepsis and went into cardiac arrest. He fought COVID and pneumonia multiple times and was on a ventilator for 3 months. Ralph had to learn how to talk again and because of being in bed for so long, he developed myopathy and neuropathy. It has been a long journey of healing and will continue to be. Ralph’s body was weak and fatigued, and nerve and muscle damage can take months to heal but as of today, Ralph is working hard to regain all that this has taken away from him.
Stay tuned for more updates…!
8/12/2020 – Pneumothorax
8/13/2020 – Pulmonary hypertension (CMS – HCC)
8/13/2020 – Scleroderma (CMS – HCC)
9/9/2020 – Celiac disease
9/9/2020 – Barrett’s esophagus
9/9/2020 – Raynaud disease
9/9/2020 – Arthritis
9/9/2020 – sleep apnea
9/9/2020 – Acute respiratory distress
9/9/2020 – Hypertension
9/9/2020 – GERD (gastoesophageal reflux disease)
9/18/2020 – Moderate protein-calorie malnutrition
9/24/2020 Hx of CREST & severe PAH, s/p BLT 9/23/2020 (cmv d-/r-;EBV+/+)
10/14/2020 – VRE bacteremia
10/14/2020 – Post txp Immunosuppression (CMS-HCC)
10/14/2020 – Recurrent DVT (BUE/LE/IVC)
10/14/2020 -Status post tracheostomy (CMS-HCC)
10/14/2020 – Acute respiratory failure with hypoxia & hypercarbia (CMS-HCC)
10/19/2020 – Post txp Hyperthermia
11/17/2020 – AKI on CKD now s/p CRRT
11/17/2020 – Physical deconditioning
11/18/2020 – Bilateral leg weakness/Polyneuropathy
11/24/2020 – Anxiety/Depression
11/24/2020 – Iron (Fe) deficiency anemia
11/27/2020 – Nausea and vomiting
1/18/2021 – Aspiration Pneumonia due to Pseudomonas species (CMS – HCC), present on admit
1/18/2021 – Esophageal dysmotility due to scleroderma
1/18/2021 – Acute systolic heart failure (CMS-HCC)
1/18/2021 – Diarrhea
1/18/2021 – Seizure
1/18/2021 – Chronic lower back pain/peripheral neuropathy
3/8/2021 – Failure to thrive in adult
4/19/21 – Leukopenia
