My dad, Duane D’Agnese, has been a part of the music, theater, and accounting communities of southern New Hampshire for more than 30 years. An incredible musician who toured the country and introduced me to the world of live performance, he also contributed sound design work to local theaters and built a highly respected career in accounting and bankruptcy work, serving as an expert witness with an exceptional level of professional certification and expertise. He has spent his life supporting others, including giving me opportunities and stability I never would have had without his care - and now it’s my turn to support him.

In April, he was hospitalized with pneumonia and later transferred to a skilled nursing rehab facility. After several weeks, he was discharged home on May 23rd. I flew home the day before to help with his transition, but within hours of returning home, he could no longer breathe or speak clearly and slipped out of his chair. I had to call 911, and he has remained hospitalized since.

My dad suffered a severe stroke in 2010 that took away his ability to play music (the greatest passion of his life) and left him with lasting mobility and dexterity challenges. In recent years, his health has declined significantly due to congestive heart failure, respiratory failure, edema, and other ongoing medical complications. He now requires a level of daily care that our family can no longer safely provide at home without more full time assistance.

I am currently his primary medical contact and the person overseeing the coordination of his care, with support locally from his cousin Robin and from my mom Sandy remotely down in Florida. As an Army veteran, he qualifies for a lot of support through the VA and we’re so grateful for what they’ve been able to do - but unfortunately it does not fully cover the level of full-time skilled care he now clearly needs. While he can technically complete certain physical tasks independently and can demonstrate them enough for PT discharge, he cannot safely live alone without around-the-clock assistance and supervision.

At this time, the cost of full-time skilled nursing care is expected to be approximately $10,000 per month until he can hopefully be admitted to the Tilton Veterans Home later this year under full VA coverage. While our family has done everything possible to prepare financially, the speed and severity of his decline have created care costs far beyond what we anticipated when I flew out here on May 22nd.

Any contribution, no matter the amount, would help cover his medical bills, ongoing care, and expedited placement in a skilled nursing facility in New Hampshire. If you are unable to donate, sharing this campaign would also mean so much to our family.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for supporting my dad during such a difficult chapter.