Hi @ScottM,
If a firmware update fails on the Pixhawk it normally goes into bootloader mode. If you update to the latest BlueOS-1.1 beta image (requires being in Pirate Mode) the firmware updater should be able to detect the bootloader if it is working, in which case it can try to do the normal update again (BlueOS 1.0 does not have that functionality). Given QGC wasn’t able to detect it it’s quite possible BlueOS won’t be either, but it’s presumably at least worth a shot before buying new hardware. I’d recommend power cycling the vehicle before trying to update the Pixhawk firmware.
If that doesn’t help then @williangalvani’s suggestion and/or replacing the device stand as the main remaining options 
If you choose to go down this route, check out our Navigator Retrofit Guide