Taylor's Heart Fund

Taylor MacLean is a 24 year-old woman who has dedicated her life to helping others. As an Occupational Therapist, she works with people affected by mental, physical, and social disabilities and helps them learn to independently carry out everyday tasks or occupations. Taylor's effect on her patients has been profound, as evidenced by the many gifts and notes they have left her with love. 

Now it is Taylor who needs our help. At age 20, Taylor was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, which translates literally to "heart muscle disease." Though she lived for many years without experiencing symptoms, this past Thanksgiving, Taylor began to feel worse than usual. After a week's stay at Boston Medical Center, she found herself back in the hospital once again just before Christmas. This time, Taylor had regressed into end-stage heart failure. Her doctors at Brigham and Women's decided to perform surgery, implanting a pacemaker (for her irregular heart rate) and a defibrillator (as she is prone to fatal heart rhythms). Though she was feeling better shortly after her surgery, it didn't last very long and she was admitted back to the hospital in January.

This time around, things are as serious as ever. Taylor's doctors will be performing open-heart surgery to implant a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD). This device will help pump blood from the left ventricle of her heart to the rest of her body. A control unit and battery pack are worn outside the body and are connected to the LVAD through a port in her skin. In addition to her LVAD surgery, due to the seriousness of her condition, Taylor is also awaiting a heart transplant. 

This is where we need your help. In addition to the tremendous cost of this surgery (the average cost of surgery and post-op care is around $250,000- hopefully, most of this will be covered by insurance), Taylor has not been able to work since her initial visit to the hospital, just before Thanksgiving. After her LVAD surgery, she will continue to be unable to work for the foreseeable future. While Taylor herself would never ask anyone for a dime, we, her family, are asking for your help. We hope to gain your support and help in alleviating financial strain to allow Taylor the time to recover and focus on her health.

Madison, Taylor's sister, will keep this page updated with Taylor's progress as she recovers from LVAD surgery (scheduled to be performed on Wednesday, January 21st). In the meantime, we ask that you continue to keep Taylor in your thoughts and to send any sort of positive energy or prayers her way. Some have been asking for an address where things could be sent to her. For the time being, please feel free to send things to Madison, who will bring things to Taylor while she moves between units and rooms: 

Madison Power
47 Roberts Street
Malden, MA 02148

Finally, we'd like to encourage anyone that has ever considered becoming an organ donor to think about the life you'd be providing for others. You may save up to 8 lives through organ donation, and can affect many more through the donation of tissue. Thousands of individuals die every year awaiting transplant, but we have the power to change that.  To learn more, and to register in your state, please follow this link: OrganDonor.Gov