Donate for Jeff's recovery

My name is Ociane and I’m writing on behalf of my life partner Jeff Hammarquist.

We don’t prefer to share so openly, but we don’t get a say this time: It has been a hard year for us. For those who don’t know, Jeff has a genetic heart condition called HCM, or Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy - A severe outflow obstruction, that has been riddling him with chest pain and fatigue and has gotten worse over time.

In December 2021 Jeff went to get a routine blood draw at his sliding-scale doctor’s office. The next thing he knew, he was being woken up by EMTs saying he had a cardiac event and his heart was failing.

My fiance Jeff is 31 years old, the father of a wonderful 10 year old boy, and at high risk of sudden death because of his condition. On October 3rd he will be undergoing open heart surgery to save his life. We have been lucky enough to receive charity from Duke for the surgery. However this does not cover the months of no income before and during recovery.

I will be by Jeff’s side during his recovery, but my sole income is not enough to keep covering our bills, and to keep ensuring a healthy life for my partner and his son.

Last fall, before his diagnosis, Jeff was in the best shape of his life, a goal he had been working hard at for years. But in the last 6 months, Jeff’s condition has gotten significantly worse. Due to his heart failing, Jeff cannot work anymore.

Jeff’s surgery is coming near now and we still have a long recovery ahead. Jeff will not be able to work until December and we are hoping to raise money to allow Jeff to recover and heal without more severe financial stress, and to support our family in all aspects of life while our income is limited.

Any amount contributed will mean the world. We will keep you updated on Jeff’s health through his recovery.