Main fundraiser photo

Kelly's Heart Surgery Fund

Kelly needs heart surgery—a difficult reality to face for a 38-year-old woman with two young children.

We want to raise $10,000 to cover Kelly's health insurance deductible and expenses directly related to this surgery. Any funds collected above this amount will be put toward prior unpaid medical bills.

We appreciate any donations to ease our friend’s financial burden at this time of emotional and physical hardships.

Why does Kelly need heart surgery?

In 2005, Kelly underwent testing to find out why she felt lightheaded and why her heart was skipping. The test put her into cardiac arrest twice, and she was sent into emergency surgery to implant a defibrillator to treat ventricular tachycardia.

Ventricular tachycardia is a chronic condition in which the heart races and beats abnormally. The device doctors implanted contains a pacemaker to regulate the heartbeat and a defibrillator to shock the muscle if it stops beating or exceeds a pre-set limit.

Kelly subsequently received a notice that the wire leads embedded in her heart are defective. In 2013, those faulty leads unnecessarily delivered a massive shock to her heart that knocked her to her knees. She was airlifted to a hospital where she received the specialized care she needed. The helicopter flight alone cost more than $30,000, of which the family was responsible for paying $7,500.

This is only one of many medical bills the family has received for Kelly’s hospital stays and procedures in the past decade. Kelly also has rheumatoid arthritis and is currently not working because of her poor health.

Last year, Kelly visited Mayo Clinic and found out that the device itself, in addition to the leads, is defective, and it very likely wouldn't have activated if she needed it.

In 2009, the company that made the defective device settled a class-action lawsuit. Unfortunately, Kelly was not one of the plaintiffs in that case, and a federal ruling does not allow further claims against the company.

Now, Kelly’s cardiologists tell her that the device needs to be replaced before the pacemaker's battery runs out. They have given her until June 2015 to have heart surgery. This surgery carries more risk than the initial placement because the wires in her heart are embedded in 10 years’ worth of scar tissue.

Kelly is scared, but she does not have a choice. If she goes without surgery, she has no protection against ventricular tachycardia and runs the risk of future infection where the device and leads are implanted.

Please help us ease our friend’s worries about paying for this necessary surgery.

Thank you, Friends of Kelly
Donate

Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $50 
    • 9 yrs
Donate

Organizer

Jonathan Baird
Organizer
Oconomowoc, WI

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.