Ryan Needs A Heart Transplant

To whomever this message reaches:

As you read this, please know that it is hard to write these words. It's hard to believe that any of this is happening, and it's hard to ask for help...but we need your help.

This is my son, Ryan. He is 19 years old, and he needs a heart.
On June 28, 2019, Ryan was diagnosed with a rare, congenital heart defect called Ebstein Anomaly  (click the link to learn more). This defect is so severe that it has caused the right side of his heart to be 3 times larger than normal. His heart is weak, barely pumps the blood through his body, and beats irregularly.
On 1/5/2020, Ryan's rhythm became dangerously abnormal. His heart went into ventricular fibrillation and then stopped beating. Luckily, the nurses were able to revive him, and he is still with us today.
Currently, Ryan spends his days in the cardiac ICU of UCHealth-Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, Colorado. He stays connected to a heart monitor and an IV 24/7. He will remain here until he receives a new heart. However, a new heart is only the beginning of the journey Ryan and the rest of my family faces.
This is where we are asking for help. Since his diagnosis in June, we have paid over $3000 in medical expenses, excluding his current stay at Anschutz and a recent trip to Mayo Clinic-Minnesota. I have exhausted my PTO, and any leave from work is now unpaid. The bills are piling up, and this is only the beginning.

Here is a basic breakdown of what we are expecting (this is the simplest way I know how to do this):
1. Insurance premiums: $348 monthly
2. New heart out of pocket: $4000
3. Cure for Hep C heart, if he receives one infected: $5000
4. 15+ medications for life: various out of pocket cost every 90 days.
5. 6 weeks of 24/7 care once home: this means I miss more work.
6. 6 months of rehab visits 3 times weekly: $2880 in copays (and more missed work).
7. Fuel for driving 1 hour each way from home (Fort Collins) to Denver every day.
8. Additional costs for any complications that are likely to occur as his body tries to reject the new heart.

I could go on and on but, to put it simply, this is expensive and I have no idea how I'm going to afford it. What I do know is that we want Ryan to live. Ryan needs to live...the world is a better place with him in it.
Ryan just graduated last Summer. He was headed to college to major in Business Administration: Financial Planning. He loves numbers, reading, baking and eating cookies, fishing, and playing games with his family. Ryan is kind and funny and just a really cool dude. He has a wealth of random facts in his brilliant mind and a smile that brightens the room.
No one owes us anything, but we are hoping that his story will inspire you to help us down this path. It is long, and we simply can't do it alone.

We thank you in advance for your prayers, positive thoughts, well-wishes, financial and emotional support, and for sharing Ryan's story.

To our family and friends who have already generously donated and continuously check in on us, you have no idea how much it means to us. We feel your love and support daily and are endlessly grateful. Thank you!!

Please enjoy some of my favorite photos of Ryan through the years. He is loved so very much!