This Girl is all Heart

My sister Eden is a survivor in every sense of the word. Most people would not guess that when they meet her, they see her bright smile and feel her kindness and gentle spirit, perhaps her killer fashion sense. But underneath all that is a kid that fought cancer twice when she was just five and nine years old. She fought and survived her cancer at a very young age and though the cancer has been gone for many years the affects of the intense treatments have been long lasting and have required continual medical care. One of the chemotherapy drugs in particular damaged her heart leaving her with a condition called cardiomyopathy, a type of congestive heart failure. Her condition has been managed through medication for many years but her symptoms have worsened and her heart weakened earlier than any of us would have liked or anticipated.

She needs surgery to get a pacemaker/defibrillator type device that will help her heart beat more normally and hopefully help to relieve her fatigue and shortness of breath. She has had to go on temporary disability because working even part time has become impossible. Her husband George would like to be able to take time off to help care for her after the surgery and get her back on her feet. She will not be able to drive or lift her arms for several weeks after the device is implanted. Her medical bills have been piling up for years and she is having trouble keeping up with the insurance costs required to keep her maintain the coverage that covers the specialists needed for her care.

Eden and George both work with special needs kids, providing support and learning programs that help them attend school and learn important life skills. Its important work, but like many service and teaching jobs it is often hard to cover the costs of extenuating circumstances such as these. Helping Eden and George at this time would provide them needed relief to get some of the medical costs covered and help them get back on their feet and past this difficult medical juncture. Your help and kindness would help get them out from under the growing medical bills and give them a little breathing room to take the time they need to get over this hurdle.

We are hopeful that with this device Eden will be able to regain some of her previous strength and stamina and her heart and life will be protected from a more dramatic event with the defibrillator in place. More than anything we want her to lead a more normal life once again and be able to shine her bright light for everyone she meets.

Thank you for your consideration, care and support.