Captain's Journey to Live

Hello, my name is Catherine Washington. I am the big sister of Captain John Smith Jr., who desperately needs a heart transplant. I am starting a donation fund for my baby brother Captain John Smith Jr., who is moving to Salt Lake City, Utah, as he begins the Journey for a new heart. The funds will be used for moving expenses, housing, transportation, caretaker, medication and insurance deductible.

My brother “Captain John” was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in December 2015. Since then, he has been rushed to the hospital several times. He has survived pneumonia, heart attack, and extremely high blood pressure levels. In January 2019, he was informed that his heart rate was beating at 20% when they implanted a heart defibrillator to ensure his life.

His situation worsened, and in April 2019, he had open heart surgery where doctors implanted the Heart Ware LVAD device to pump his blood and serve as a bridge to a heart transplant. Although the heart surgery was successful, he got a hematoma in his groin area, causing him to lose feeling in his left side. He would remain in the hospital for 90-plus days, where he had to learn to walk again. In July 2019, Captain was on the heart transplant list and would be taken off the list in November 2019 due to his insurance. In June 2022, he was informed that the Heart Ware LVAD had been recalled. In addition to it being recalled, they do not even make this model anymore. Here is where it gets tricky. To take the Heart Ware LVAD device out of his body, they will have to replace it with a new heart.

Captain has been in and out of the hospital all this year. During his last visit in September 2022, he was in the hospital (ICU) for 15 days due to high INR blood levels, and his heart was deteriorating. Captain was released from the hospital on his birthday, and the staff gave him a surprise birthday party. His birthday wish was to get a new heart by Valentine’s day, 2023. Captain's journey to live is to see all four of his children graduate high school and enter college. He also would love to see the Kansas City Chiefs return to the Superbowl.

If you know Captain, he will make it happen with the help of God. The hospital/state he was in does not provide any transplants. Captain began to advocate for himself while in the hospital. He got the doctors and the LVAD team to refer him to the University of Utah, which specializes in heart transplants. ( click on the youtube clip below)

On October 18, 2022, Captain got the call informing him that his insurance had been accepted and he could come to the University of Utah to begin the following steps to getting on the heart transplant list. My brother has his intake/testing appointment scheduled for November 28, 2022, at the University of Utah. Captain plans to move to Salt Lake City, Utah, in December 2022 as he awaits his new heart.

Thank you in advance for your donation, prayers, and support.