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Support for Skip & Mary Ramey

 

UPDATE:  Dad received a heart transplant today, on Valentine’s Day! ❤️ They decided to not do a kidney transplant yesterday because the heart pump was pumping enough blood to the kidney and the kidney function had improved. Please keep the prayers coming as this time is the most critical time for his body to accept or reject the heart.

Our dad, Skip Ramey, is in Vanderbilt Hospital currently waiting to get a heart and kidney transplant. He has been very sick for a few months, and has been in and out of the hospital on and off for 3 months straight.

 He was in Sycamore Shoals Hospital in December on & off for 2 weeks. After that he went to Johnson City Medical Center.  They went to put a stent in and punctured a hole in his artery.  They tied that artery off, and were able to put one in his main artery. In doing this they had to use more dye. Using this dye was hard on his kidneys that were already not doing great.  Unable to give him fluids due to him being full of fluids already, they were not able to help flush the dye and his kidneys shut down. With no option of dialysis due to his low blood pressure and weak heart, they sent him to ICU to do ultrafiltration.  This eventually helped start his kidneys back up.  They discontinued the ultrafiltration after a few days and sent him to critical care.  We were told then that it was more his kidneys than his heart. After a few days the kidneys were doing better and he was sent home.  

 After 15 days he left  JCMC. At the time of discharge he was still full of fluids and weighed 252. He was home for 1 full day and didn't know where he was and barely could walk. The next night my mom and I drove him to Vanderbilt.  They have been wonderful. He has a great team of doctors that have been able to get 45 pounds of fluid off him, and have made the ultimate decision to get him a heart and kidney transplant.  Last week he had to have a balloon pump installed to help with the declining blood pressure, and to help his heart pump. Unfortunately, this had be done quick and was put in through his leg.  During this time we were told he might be to weak for the heart transplant.  He told them to move this pump in his arm and he would show them he wasn’t weak.  So a few days later they moved the pump to his arm, and now he is able to get up and walk down the halls to get stronger for his transplant surgeries.  

 Our mom currently is out of work on FMLA, but doesn't get paid.  She has been staying at the Hospitality House  that cost $245.00 a week to stay.  She and our dad also have bills back home that they are worried about.  We are helping as much as we can. After our dad’s surgery he will be in the hospital for almost a month, and then him and our mom have to live in Nashville for 2-3 months after for therapy and different doctor appointments.

 As you might imagine, this catastrophic medical situation puts a lot on our mom and dad’s mind.  After insurance coverage, the remaining medical, rehabilitation, and support expenses will create a life-altering burden of debt. We are helping to ease their financial burdens as much as we can.  This fundraiser has been established to help us with that so that the family can focus on Dad's healing and return to a sense of normalcy once they return home.

 Please give what you can. No amount is too little. And if you cannot give, please be thinking of us and keep us in your prayers. We greatly appreciate any and every donation and of course all your prayers!

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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $100 
    • 4 yrs
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Organizer

Kristy Fenner
Organizer
Elizabethton, TN

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