FROM OUR HEART... FOR DIANES HEART
Donation protected
FROM THE HEART… FOR DIANE’S HEART
My name is Lisa Caprio-Miller. I am Diane’s oldest sister. Growing up, Diane was my mini-me. If I did or had something Diane was right there with me wanting to do it or have it too.
I am sharing Diane’s story along with her children, with the hope that we (her family, her friends and you, the reader) can help us provide the medications and medical care that Diane desperately needs.
Diane Caprio, like many mother’s, has dreams of a watching her two children become happy, thriving, successful adults. She has dreams of watching her son get married and becoming a Dad. She has dreams of being the Mother of the Bride and being by her daughter’s side when she brings home her first baby.
They are what keeps her going despite her failing heart.
Little did she know back in (1997), shortly after having her son Austin, that a swollen lymph node under her arm would be the beginning of a battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. CANCER of the white bloods cells. BLOOD CANCER.
Imagine having an infant son, a husband, a full time job, a household to run and chemotherapy that makes you so sick you can barely lift your foot to take a step towards the bathroom as you begin to vomit.
Diane endured several months of chemotherapy for a week at a time while we all prayed, hoped and sent positive thoughts for a good outcome. Thankfully, a clean bill of health was in her future.
Life goes on. Diane is still working full time, raising her son and in 2001 gives birth to a beautiful baby girl named Olivia. Austin (now 23) and Olivia (now 18) are the light of her life. God has blessed her with a beautiful boy and a beautiful girl. Little did she know the next battle was right around the corner.
In early 2003, during routine blood work CANCER raised its ugly head once more and she was diagnosed with a Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma for the 2nd time. Seven more rounds of chemotherapy, twice a month for 1 week at a time. More nausea, vomiting, weakness, exhaustion. Several months and many prayers later, a clean bill of health again.
Chemotherapy punished Diane’s body and took a tremendous toll on her.
Later In 2003, she was diagnosed with a Thyroid issue believed to have been caused by the chemotherapy.
This led to surgery for a total Thyroidectomy. After many years of thyroid medications, it was discovered that the surgeon did not actually remove the total thyroid and that it was growing back. This time though, the regrowth was forming around her vocal cords and had actually paralyzed one of her vocal cords.
By 2018, she was referred to an endocrinologist because she was exhibiting signs and symptoms of someone having difficulty breathing and talking.
During a PET Scan it was discovered that her Thyroid had grown back 3 times larger than normal. The regrowth of Diane’s thyroid gland (which medications did not help) combined with 2 separate fights against Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has done irreparable damage to her body.
It has severely damaged her heart and placed Diane in heart failure.
In 2019 during another cardiac test, she was told that she would need a combination pacemaker / defibrillator implanted in her chest to help her heart beat sufficiently.
In addition, the left ventricle in her heart is not pumping enough oxygenated blood to her organs and cells making it exceedingly difficult to breath and causing an excessive amount of fluid retention in her body.
In April of this year, Diane began exhibiting signs of (PVC’s) Premature Ventricular Contractions. A much faster heartbeat than normal. To try to control her heartbeat, Diane’s Cardiologist at Deborah Heart and Lung Hospital in NJ attempted a cardiac ablation. It was supposed to be a same day procedure.
When the cardiologist began the cardiac ablation, it was discovered that her heart was in much worse shape than the cardiologists originally thought. She has an ejection fraction of 23. Which means that her left ventricle is only pumping 23% of the oxygenated blood her body needs to survive.
She ended up staying in the hospital last month for 8 days. Eight days, ALONE in the ICU and CICU, multiple invasive tests, multiple medications, a 7 swan set-up of (pulmonary artery catheters) and all during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the end of this hospital stay a PICC line (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) was implanted in her upper arm to deliver the cardiac medications she needs 24/7.
And she was told she would need a heart transplant.
We hope and pray that these cardiac medications will help increase her cardiac levels high enough to be placed on a heart transplant list.
The cardiac medications are very expensive and are in addition to the medications she has to take for her Thyroid issues. The Cardiac medications alone are more than $45.00 per day. She is required to have a visiting nurse come once a week to change the dressing over the PICC line and draw blood to monitor her cardiac levels.
We, Diane’s family, are asking for your love, your prayers and for whatever financial assistance you can help her with.
Diane’s out of pocket costs for her normal medications and a required visiting nurse once a week are $2,205 per month.
$ 359.00 normal monthly out of pocket medications
$1,350.00 ($45.00 x 30 days) (PICC line medications)
$ 496.00 ($124.00 x 4 weeks) (visiting nurse)
Many of you know that Diane is on Social Security Disability which is only a small percentage of what her income use to be and nowhere near enough to cover her current medications and nursing care.
These costs above are after Medicare has paid their percentage.
She may be on these medications for a long time.
We do not ask this lightly, but we are asking for your help.
We are deeply grateful and deeply appreciative for anything you can give to help Diane.
Please find it in YOUR HEART to help us raise money for DIANE’s HEART.
We hope and pray the cardiac medications will increase her cardiac levels enough to qualify her for a heart transplant.
A MESSAGE FROM HER CHILDREN:
MY BEST FRIENDS NAME IS “MOM”:
Hi. This is Olivia. Diane’s daughter. I want to share with you how special my mom is to me and many others.
My Mom has always been a giver to others without asking for anything in return.
Throughout mine and my brother’s elementary school years Mom held bake sales on her own to raise money for sick kids or their parent(s) that were in our school district. The money she raised helped these families with bills, food and medications. She did this because it was rewarding to her and because she hated to see people in need.
Mom’s house always had an open door policy to our friends for a cooked meal, a place to lay their head or for advice. She’s cooked and fed many adults and children that didn’t have the means to buy food. She did this because she is a very generous person when someone needs help. Mom does these things without hesitation and out of the goodness of her heart.
One year, Mom even raised money for a classmates mom who was upset because she had no money to buy Christmas gifts for her children after paying for her own cancer medications.
My Mom has been the “Go-To” Mom when our friends needed someone to talk to other than their own parents. When my friends or my brothers friends needed a ride or needed help, my mom was there for them no matter what time of the day or night it was.
My Mom’s heart may not be working well, but she will always have the biggest heart out of anyone I know. Please pray for my Mom.
THANK YOU READERS. This is Austin. Diane’s son. I want to share with you how special my mom is to me and many others. My mother is a fantastic lady. She goes above and beyond for me and my sister.
Many, many times I would be out in public and if I ran into someone who knows my mother they would always have wonderful things to say about my Mo
All throughout my childhood, she was the “Mom” that all my friends loved and could joke around with.
I wish, hope and pray for the best for my Mom. Every single day.
She is the strongest woman I know.
She will make it through this journey. I am asking for help and prayers from everyone.
My name is Lisa Caprio-Miller. I am Diane’s oldest sister. Growing up, Diane was my mini-me. If I did or had something Diane was right there with me wanting to do it or have it too.
I am sharing Diane’s story along with her children, with the hope that we (her family, her friends and you, the reader) can help us provide the medications and medical care that Diane desperately needs.
Diane Caprio, like many mother’s, has dreams of a watching her two children become happy, thriving, successful adults. She has dreams of watching her son get married and becoming a Dad. She has dreams of being the Mother of the Bride and being by her daughter’s side when she brings home her first baby.
They are what keeps her going despite her failing heart.
Little did she know back in (1997), shortly after having her son Austin, that a swollen lymph node under her arm would be the beginning of a battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. CANCER of the white bloods cells. BLOOD CANCER.
Imagine having an infant son, a husband, a full time job, a household to run and chemotherapy that makes you so sick you can barely lift your foot to take a step towards the bathroom as you begin to vomit.
Diane endured several months of chemotherapy for a week at a time while we all prayed, hoped and sent positive thoughts for a good outcome. Thankfully, a clean bill of health was in her future.
Life goes on. Diane is still working full time, raising her son and in 2001 gives birth to a beautiful baby girl named Olivia. Austin (now 23) and Olivia (now 18) are the light of her life. God has blessed her with a beautiful boy and a beautiful girl. Little did she know the next battle was right around the corner.
In early 2003, during routine blood work CANCER raised its ugly head once more and she was diagnosed with a Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma for the 2nd time. Seven more rounds of chemotherapy, twice a month for 1 week at a time. More nausea, vomiting, weakness, exhaustion. Several months and many prayers later, a clean bill of health again.
Chemotherapy punished Diane’s body and took a tremendous toll on her.
Later In 2003, she was diagnosed with a Thyroid issue believed to have been caused by the chemotherapy.
This led to surgery for a total Thyroidectomy. After many years of thyroid medications, it was discovered that the surgeon did not actually remove the total thyroid and that it was growing back. This time though, the regrowth was forming around her vocal cords and had actually paralyzed one of her vocal cords.
By 2018, she was referred to an endocrinologist because she was exhibiting signs and symptoms of someone having difficulty breathing and talking.
During a PET Scan it was discovered that her Thyroid had grown back 3 times larger than normal. The regrowth of Diane’s thyroid gland (which medications did not help) combined with 2 separate fights against Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has done irreparable damage to her body.
It has severely damaged her heart and placed Diane in heart failure.
In 2019 during another cardiac test, she was told that she would need a combination pacemaker / defibrillator implanted in her chest to help her heart beat sufficiently.
In addition, the left ventricle in her heart is not pumping enough oxygenated blood to her organs and cells making it exceedingly difficult to breath and causing an excessive amount of fluid retention in her body.
In April of this year, Diane began exhibiting signs of (PVC’s) Premature Ventricular Contractions. A much faster heartbeat than normal. To try to control her heartbeat, Diane’s Cardiologist at Deborah Heart and Lung Hospital in NJ attempted a cardiac ablation. It was supposed to be a same day procedure.
When the cardiologist began the cardiac ablation, it was discovered that her heart was in much worse shape than the cardiologists originally thought. She has an ejection fraction of 23. Which means that her left ventricle is only pumping 23% of the oxygenated blood her body needs to survive.
She ended up staying in the hospital last month for 8 days. Eight days, ALONE in the ICU and CICU, multiple invasive tests, multiple medications, a 7 swan set-up of (pulmonary artery catheters) and all during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the end of this hospital stay a PICC line (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) was implanted in her upper arm to deliver the cardiac medications she needs 24/7.
And she was told she would need a heart transplant.
We hope and pray that these cardiac medications will help increase her cardiac levels high enough to be placed on a heart transplant list.
The cardiac medications are very expensive and are in addition to the medications she has to take for her Thyroid issues. The Cardiac medications alone are more than $45.00 per day. She is required to have a visiting nurse come once a week to change the dressing over the PICC line and draw blood to monitor her cardiac levels.
We, Diane’s family, are asking for your love, your prayers and for whatever financial assistance you can help her with.
Diane’s out of pocket costs for her normal medications and a required visiting nurse once a week are $2,205 per month.
$ 359.00 normal monthly out of pocket medications
$1,350.00 ($45.00 x 30 days) (PICC line medications)
$ 496.00 ($124.00 x 4 weeks) (visiting nurse)
Many of you know that Diane is on Social Security Disability which is only a small percentage of what her income use to be and nowhere near enough to cover her current medications and nursing care.
These costs above are after Medicare has paid their percentage.
She may be on these medications for a long time.
We do not ask this lightly, but we are asking for your help.
We are deeply grateful and deeply appreciative for anything you can give to help Diane.
Please find it in YOUR HEART to help us raise money for DIANE’s HEART.
We hope and pray the cardiac medications will increase her cardiac levels enough to qualify her for a heart transplant.
A MESSAGE FROM HER CHILDREN:
MY BEST FRIENDS NAME IS “MOM”:
Hi. This is Olivia. Diane’s daughter. I want to share with you how special my mom is to me and many others.
My Mom has always been a giver to others without asking for anything in return.
Throughout mine and my brother’s elementary school years Mom held bake sales on her own to raise money for sick kids or their parent(s) that were in our school district. The money she raised helped these families with bills, food and medications. She did this because it was rewarding to her and because she hated to see people in need.
Mom’s house always had an open door policy to our friends for a cooked meal, a place to lay their head or for advice. She’s cooked and fed many adults and children that didn’t have the means to buy food. She did this because she is a very generous person when someone needs help. Mom does these things without hesitation and out of the goodness of her heart.
One year, Mom even raised money for a classmates mom who was upset because she had no money to buy Christmas gifts for her children after paying for her own cancer medications.
My Mom has been the “Go-To” Mom when our friends needed someone to talk to other than their own parents. When my friends or my brothers friends needed a ride or needed help, my mom was there for them no matter what time of the day or night it was.
My Mom’s heart may not be working well, but she will always have the biggest heart out of anyone I know. Please pray for my Mom.
THANK YOU READERS. This is Austin. Diane’s son. I want to share with you how special my mom is to me and many others. My mother is a fantastic lady. She goes above and beyond for me and my sister.
Many, many times I would be out in public and if I ran into someone who knows my mother they would always have wonderful things to say about my Mo
All throughout my childhood, she was the “Mom” that all my friends loved and could joke around with.
I wish, hope and pray for the best for my Mom. Every single day.
She is the strongest woman I know.
She will make it through this journey. I am asking for help and prayers from everyone.
Organizer and beneficiary
Lisa Caprio Miller
Organizer
Plumsted, NJ
Diane Caprio
Beneficiary