Anthony's Heart Transplant Fund

Many of you don't know all of what my family is going through and it's because I'm very private, always a giver hardly a receiver, &  don't like to worry anyone with our business . Also our family needed to come to terms with what's going on as it's come as a complete shock and really out of no where! It's now come time to humble ourselves & ask for much needed assistance. Let me take you on my journey thus far.. I was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy back in November 2016, the DR's told me that I had a viral infection in my heart which caused Ir-repairable damage. I've been put on several medications since then & in and out of the hospital.  In September of 2017 I showed no signs of improvement and was advised I should get a defibrillator as a safety measure for myself because my cardiac ejection fraction was only at 15%. Doctors really couldn't understand how I was still functioning daily with it being that low, guess we all have a guardian Angel huh? Although that doesn't cure my heart problems nor make my heart stronger, it was put in place as a safety measure in case my heart stopped beating at anytime on any given day.  Once that occurred I found myself at a point where I was too exhausted to get up and enjoy the normal things we all take for granted & had to quit working, leaving my wife as the primary caregiver of our families finances. In December of 2017 I went to my cardiologist and underwent several more tests, only to determine that my heart was still not improving. And to consider a Heart Transplant, which was all way too overwhelming, needless to say it has taken a toll on everything we had going on in life. From the total cost of a transplant to the after care of having to taking meds for the rest of my life was & still is unimaginable for anyone to have to go through.  In Jauary of 2018 I underwent the 3 day transplant evaluation process at the hospital which included a right heart cath, that same day I was hospitalized due to my cardiac index being 1.2. This meant that I had to be placed in ICU for 3 days and go home with an IV Bag of medication and a PICC line in my right arm. Every day my wife helps me flush out my picc lines and constantly tends to my everday health needs, not to mention a team of nurses comes out weekly to change my dressing on my arm. This will continue until I receive a new heart. After 2 months of coming to terms with all of this news of having to get a heart transplant, I finally made the decision to sign the paperwork on Valentines Day 2018 and become a Heart Transplant Recipient. It was one of the toughest decisions I've ever made,  constantly having to battle thoughts in my mind knowing what has to happen in order for me to stay alive for my family and especially my kids. Also knowing that financially we aren't ready for this type of battle, but spiritually we know & believe that through Christ all things are possible .  As anyone could imagine, it's tough to have to humble yourself to ask for anything.  However the cost of Transplant Procedures, post medical expenses, 24/7 Home health care, daily living costs, all have created a financial hardship on our Family . We have a very long road ahead of us and could use any help you are willing and able to give. Continued prayers are also welcomed and greatly appreciated. We'd like to encourage everyone who reads our story and follows our journey to become an organ donor as you may never know who or how many lives you can save by just signing up. https://www.donatelifetexas.org/  We thank you in advance and are truly grateful for anything you can do, please feel free to share our story. Stay blessed.. Hugs, Olivarez Family