Heartfelt Support for Kari's Third Transplant

Story

My name is Leslie, and I am Kari's sister-in-law/friend. I, along with her other sister-in-law/friend Cori, am creating this GoFundMe to lighten the Alejandre's load a bit. There isn't a whole lot any of us can do for them at the moment, and it's a pretty helpless feeling. We are reaching out to Kari's millions of friends, not only to keep you all in the loop, but to let you know how you can support her if you'd like. If you've met Kari, you KNOW her. If you've even been in the same room with her, it's likely that you learned about her handsome, perfect husband and her two wonderful, talented, beautiful children. You'd also hear about her deep love for animals of all kinds, nature, and her overall passion for LIFE. Kari makes friends quickly with everyone. She is loyal to those friends and never passes an opportunity to tell her friends that she loves them and is rooting for them. Because you are reading this, it is safe to assume you know about her medical history. If not, let's quickly catch you up to speed: After a virus attacked Kari's heart as a young teenager, she received her first heart transplant in 1998. In 2018, she suffered a heart attack followed by unsuccessful bypass surgery and failed stents. Her only option was a second transplant. She had a lot of complications, and her recovery was long and painful. Within that 20 years of good health, however, she got married, had a baby, adopted animals, supported her hundreds of transplant friends who are sprinkled throughout the world, planted gardens for herself and others, played music, LIVED LIFE, and just generally spread her Kari sunshine everywhere she went. It sounds cheesy, but if you've met her, you get it. Last June, after one of her routine appointments, Kari was told that she had cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). CAV is a progressive type of coronary artery disease in people who have had a heart transplant. Unfortunately, the only "cure" is a new heart. This was shocking news to all of us because she'd been feeling great! Her condition has deteriorated quickly. Two weeks ago, we were told she had about 4-6 months to prepare her body and her family for another transplant and hospital stay. Today, she is at KU Medical Center and will soon be transferred to Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee where she will be listed for transplant #3. Her family would love it if she could stay in Kansas City, but KU Med has suggested that she needs a higher level of care. Kari had already been to Vanderbilt to meet the team and begin her evaluation and loves everyone she's met there. As a family, we also believe that this is what's best for her as well, but it's scary that she will be so far away from home. Her husband (Adolfo) and two children (Bella and Paolo) will want to be there as much as possible, and this will involve a lot of travel and extra expenses. So that is her situation in a very, VERY condensed nutshell. All donations will go directly to her husband and children to offset the cost of travel. If you are unable to donate, or in addition to donation, please keep Kari in your heart and prayers. We plan to update this page often for her friends and family.