This SLO County man needs a new heart. So his wife closed her store to help him
The owner of a Los Osos stationery and copy store has closed her shop and liquidated supplies to help take care of her husband as he waits for a heart transplant.
The Copy Spot & More officially closed at the end of September, said Cathy Stalter, who’s owned the store for 35 years.
Her husband, Gary, was recently admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.
A GoFundMe fundraising campaign has been established to help the Stalter family pay for expensive medical bills, living costs and other expenses. Cathy Stalter will have to live in Los Angeles to care for her husband during the time he’s in the hospital.
Gary Stalter, 73, has been an auto body worker for more than three decades, servicing cars until recently at Los Osos Auto Body.
“He truly is one of the most giving people that you’ll ever meet, and I know that sounds cliche,” said Shawn Arnot Ison, Stalter’s daughter-in-law. “He’ll stop for every car on the road that’s broken down and help people out. He’s not someone who typically asks for help, but they’ll need it with all the bills and financial responsibilities.”
As of Sunday afternoon, the GoFundMe fundraiser raised more than $6,900 toward a $50,000 goal.
Los Osos man needs a heart transplant
Gary Stalter started feeling tired and lethargic at the beginning of the year, before the coronavirus pandemic hit San Luis Obispo County, his wife said.
He had been going into work, but coming home and feeling unable to do much around the house or work on the 1974 Ford Ranchero his father gave him, a vehicle he’s shown in car shows.
Stalter was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood throughout the rest of the body. He also suffered from an irregular heartbeat.
But Gary Stalter continued decline even after surgeries to fix a leaking valve. He was rushed to the emergency room multiple times.
“Finally, on Aug. 25, our doctor told us he was at the end of his rope,” Cathy Statler said. “He said, ‘If you don’t get a new heart or a valve, you’re not going to make it until the end of the year.’ ”
The doctor connected Stalter with UCLA, and the center soon admitted him. At the time, he weighed 60 pounds less than his normal 190 to 200 pounds.
Gary Stalter has type O-positive blood, which makes a transplant more challenging because it’s a blood type that’s in higher demand, she said.
“He was 19th on the list when they admitted him,” Cathy Statler said. “But he’s doing much better with the medication he’s on and he’s gained some weight back and got some color in his face. He was like a new man.”
Copy store closes as owner faces hardships
Cathy Statler said she knows so many people in the community from her three decades of owning a copy and stationery store that it’s hard for her to complete a shopping trip without running into somebody she knows and stopping for a chat.
“I got to know so many people here,” Statler said. “I’ve been doing this since 1985.”
Her store, the last of its kind in Los Osos, provided copies, scanning, stationery and shipping services — most recently in a 900 square-foot space at 2190 9th St.
The store won the 2016 Los Osos/Baywood Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year award.
Even efore her husband needed to be hospitalized, Statler said her store was already facing financial hardships because of COVID-19.
“I’ve had a walk-up window for two months,” she said. “But business was cut by 50% and we were just making the rent.”
Internet services also impacted business over the years, she said, adding that the Copy Spot & More moved to a smaller location adjust to less demand.
She said customers will now have to use services in Morro Bay or San Luis Obispo.
“I’ll be moving to L.A. now, maybe for the next six to eight months, while we try to cover our costs and keep our home in Los Osos,” Cathy said. “Hopefully, Gary will return soon to enjoy fishing and boating again.”
Correction: This story has been changed to reflect accurately the challenges with Type O positive blood.
This story was originally published October 5, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
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