Heart Transplant Hope for Tara

I’m reaching out during one of the most challenging times in my sister’s life. After battling heart failure, her condition has worsened, the other side of her heart is now failing. Doctors have told her that the only chance for survival is a heart transplant, and

she has now been admitted to the hospital to wait for a donor.

My sister had a diagnoses of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). For years, her ejection fraction was 19. This was significantly low. This means her blood wasn't pumping out as it should. Due to this, she had to get a pacemaker and defibrillator to help her heart's rhythm and get the blood pumping. As time went on, her body grew weaker. It seemed like she had a new complication every day. Her body was undergoing a lot.

I want to fast-forward: In 2020, her CHF worsened. She was in and out of the hospitals for weeks and sometimes months at a time. At this point, the doctors were considering LVAD (left ventricle assistive device). This device helps pump the left side of her heart because her heart cannot pump on its own. This device is usually for patients that have reached the end stage of heart failure.

She finally got her LVAD surgery in 2021, and she made it through another surgery. Having an LVAD limits her activities because it helps her survive, but she cannot get this device wet, and it must be charged at ALL TIMES. Her day-to-day tasks were limited and her health often undergoes drastic changes that she quickly had to adapted to.

Currently she resides in Maryland but has been having to travel multiple times in a month from Maryland to New York with my mother for treatment and evaluations. While at her appointment the last time she was told the one side of her heart may be starting to fail as well. Within a week she had to be rushed to the hospital, because she wasn’t even able to walk a short distance by herself. Now they are telling her she needs a heart transplant or she won’t be able to make it.

The wait is unpredictable and emotionally overwhelming for her, and the financial burden adds another layer of stress. Between medical expenses, specialized treatments, and extended hospital stays, the costs are staggering for her. Post-transplant care will also require lifelong medication and regular check-ups, which further adds to the financial strain. Especially because she won’t be able to return to work.

I’m asking for your help to help her make it through this difficult time, because she is one of those people that wants to achieve everything on her own, but she can’t this time. Every donation – no matter the size – will go towards medical bills, housing expenses during her hospital stay, and the care that she will need after surgery.

Your support means more than words can express. Whether it’s through donation, sharing this page, or just keeping her in your thoughts and prayers, you are helping her fight for her life. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being a part of my sister’s journey to her recovery!