Heart & Kidney for Sam

Thank you for taking the time to join us and get involved in the incredible journey that we have been on. For those of you that know what we have been struggling with, the time has come for Sam to get a new lease on life in the form of a heart and kidney transplant. We have been waiting for this moment for the last 12 years and we feel incredibly grateful that he will be allowed an opportunity that so many do not get.

Sam will go into Columbia Presbyterian on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 and will remain in the hospital for approximately 12-16 weeks which will include testing, waiting for the organs, surgery and the start of recovery.

For those of you who don’t know, Sam was diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy twelve years ago. At that time, the doctors told us that the cause was a virus that got into his heart and his heart function was around 35%. We were told that there was no way to get the heart function back, but that he would be able to manage his condition with medications. He did this successfully for over a decade, despite a decline in his heart function. In June of 2021, during a routine catheterization, the doctors realized that his heart function had fallen to around 5% and he was placed on a 24/7 IV medication to keep his heart pumping. He was also placed on dialysis as his kidneys ceased to function after years of heavy medication. The IV medication has now become less effective, indicating that it is time to move to the next step, transplant.

As you can imagine, it’s been a very long road for our family. There have been endless challenges, victories and defeats. We continue to remain hopeful that the next steps will change all our lives for the better.

The average heart transplant costs $1.5 million dollars. A dual organ transplant even more. Insurance will cover some, but not all, of this cost. We have started this fundraiser to help us offset some of these expenses. Your donation will help us afford these significant costs, both pre-and-post surgery.

Please consider donating today. Your contribution will go a long way in helping us through this difficult time.

Thank you again for taking the time to read this and for all your well wishes, love and support.