Gilbert man facing death decides to delay surgery

Tommy Taylor, the Gilbert man facing death when an implanted medical device is removed has decided to delay the surgery planned for March 26, 2015.

In a social media post, Taylor wrote “Thank you for all of your love, support and prayers. After discussions with family and friends along with continued prayer, I have decided to delay the surgery on March 26. Although I am at peace with God’s ultimate plan for my life, I am going to exhaust all available options before making a decision that would likely amount to certain death in an outpatient facility. I know the Lord will call me home according to his plan, not a medical device company’s time line. “There is still hope for a miracle!” Thank you again for prayers and support.

Taylor had asked the community for prayers for his situation.

But several people who read about his plight in The State on Wednesday set up GoFundMe accounts for him. Taylor’s family now has started a GoFundMe account under the name Tommy Taylor Official Medical Fund.

One of the accounts set up Wednesday already had $985 in pledges. Less than an hour after being established, the official account had $585 in pledges.

Taylor was part of a study of the neo Legacy by medical device maker CVRx of Minneapolis. While the device helped maintain Taylor’s previously out-of-control blood pressure for six years, it didn’t meet all of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements for approval.

With the study period ending without FDA approval, Taylor had to chose between having the device removed at the company’s expense by April 1, waiting until the battery dies with no way of knowing exactly when that would happen, or having the device replaced at his own expense. Taylor was quoted a price of more than $400,000 for the replacement, which insurance and Medicare have refused to cover.

With those options, Taylor has chosen to have the device removed next week, even though he is unlikely to survive long without it. Last time the device’s electronic pulses were turned off, his blood pressure soared quickly to life-threatening levels.

Taylor said Thursday he appreciated the fund-raising efforts started by others, but he remains more interested in prayers than donations.

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Gilbert man facing death decides to delay surgery."