It started with an Instagram picture on Thanksgiving day, a picture at 4 AM of Caleb Wederquist's feet and some random text that made no sense.
"I wasn't feeling well having breathing problems," he explained.
Wederquist explains he thought it was a cold or something small, but the 28 year old's family went into alert mode. After an ambulance rushed him to a Lincoln hospital, doctors discovered it was much worse. Wederquist was septic. A bacterial infection was eating through his heart valve, damaging his heart and lungs.
"The cardiologist was very blunt they said we're going to do what we can, but they just didn't know if they could save him, because his condition was very extreme," mom Becky Wederquist said.
Heart surgery did save Caleb. Recovery has been slow going. It's especially hard for this Star Wars fan, who missed out on the big premiere he's waited to see, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
After learning he was such a fan, a simple phone call from Nebraska Medicine to Disney lead to an overnighted bag of swag. In Caleb's bag was star wars shirts, mugs, a watch, hat, and a fleece jacket.
"It was a nice surprise to see and it was different and it was unexpected which was really nice," he said.
Most of all, it was a new hope to keep waiting spoiler free until he's well enough to see the film.
"I'd see the movie tonight if I could. Maybe I'll take the bed in there," Wederquist said.
Caleb's set up a go fund me page for medical funds, at https://www.gofundme.com/hhcf6u38.
