Hi there… my name is Matt, and I am currently living with an LVAD while waiting for a heart transplant. The past year has been overwhelming in every way medically, financially, and emotionally. With constant doctor’s appointments, weekly testing, and repeated trips to UPenn, I am asking for help with my medical insurance , ongoing treatments, and basic daily living expenses.

In February of 2025, my heart went into complete failure due to end-stage congestive heart failure, and I had to receive a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD). This mechanical heart is keeping me alive, but it comes with major limitations and risks. Life with an LVAD is restrictive, exhausting, and unpredictable. Every day requires carefully monitoring equipment, managing symptoms like dizziness and severe fatigue, and protecting myself from infections. I can’t walk far, can’t drive, and rarely leave my home because I am immunocompromised and extremely vulnerable to even minor illnesses.

Since receiving the LVAD, my life has been shaped by repeated medical crises. I have been hospitalized every single month, often for weeks at a time, due to complications such as infections, bleeding, and immune complications compounded by a rare autoimmune condition. These long, frequent hospital stays make it impossible to regain any sense of normalcy and contribute to mounting medical expenses and instability.

Before all of this, I lived an active, full life. I worked hard, lived independently, and felt hopeful about the future. Heart failure has taken much of that away. Because of my condition, I am completely unable to work, leaving me without an income to cover insurance premiums, medications, copays, transportation to my medical team, or even basic necessities like food. The loss of independence has been one of the hardest parts of this journey.

I am doing everything I can to stay alive long enough to receive a new heart. Your support will help me continue treatment, manage the overwhelming financial strain, and keep fighting through the challenges I face each day. Thank you for reading my story and for any help you can give. Your support truly means more than I can express.