Brad's New Heart

Brad received his new heart on September 4th, 2018. After a stay of about 5 months in Utah, he was released to come home to Nevada in February of 2019. Brad continues to go back to Utah every other month for biopsies, blood work, and check ups. He is required to take medications multiple times and day and will be required to continue taking many of the medications for the rest of his life to prevent rejection.  This is where we need your help. Thankfully, the transplant surgery and Brad’s hospitalization was mostly covered by insurance; however,  insurance does not cover the transportation and accommodation costs of going back to Utah for biopsies and check ups - which cannot be done in Nevada.  Additionally, Brad will be required to take anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life. And now Brad needs new hips due to the medications. As his support team, we, his family, are committed to doing all we possibly can to help care and provide for Brad during this very difficult time. However, our individual circumstances simply prevent us from being able to collectively afford the expenses. Thank you all very much for your time, thoughts, prayers, and financial help. We couldn’t do it without you. The beginning: Brad Bartlett is a thirty-year old Nevadan who, until recently, was able to do anything most people his age could. He had a great job, his own house, a close family, a loving girlfriend, and a full and active life. All of this, everything he had worked for along with his very survival, was suddenly threatened when Brad was diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF) in January of 2018. His heart was only functioning at twenty percent and his lungs had filled with fluid making every breath a struggle. Over the next few months and endless trials with different medications, Brad’s condition continued to deteriorate. Work of any kind became impossible. Even the simplest tasks such as mowing the lawn or taking out the garbage became arduous. There was no part of Brad’s life that this illness didn’t touch.   As a result of his deteriorating health, Brad was referred to the University of Utah Cardiovascular Center which would be able to provide him with the needed level of care unavailable in Nevada. In early May, Brad met with his care team in Utah where he underwent extensive testing and still more trials with new medications. From the testing, it was determined that Brad’s heart failure was caused by a genetic mutation. For Brad, this knowledge was some small comfort, putting to rest any feelings that he somehow brought this on himself. Yet, as a mere fact, it changed nothing about his condition. Ultimately, Brad was advised by the doctors in Utah that a heart transplant was the only option for prolonging his life. The transplant committee officially approved Brad for the procedure on July 10th, 2018 when the decision was also made to admit him to the hospital as soon as possible. Waiting at home instead was not an option. Brad’s heart simply wasn’t strong enough for him to survive what could have been a two to three year wait. Being hospitalized put him in a much higher category of critical need.  Brad’s age and otherwise good health definitely contribute to the odds of a successful outcome, which is another reason for the aggressive approach from Brad’s care team in Utah. Brad was admitted to the hospital July 30, 2018. After a little over a month long wait Brad received his new heart on September 4th, 2018.  Brad did have some rejection but as time continued and medications were adjusted the biopsies continued to get better and show no rejection. Brad remained in Utah until the end of January 2019 when he was cleared to come home to Nevada.