Heather Ann Belden's Funeral Funds
Donation protected
Heather loved spending time with her family, being outside, going to the gym, and relaxing watching TV. Heather enjoyed the simple things in life the most. Heather always tried to look on the bright side of things and live her life to the fullest. Even after losing her 23 year old son in 2019. Heather tried to embrace life.
Around the beginning of January Heather started having bloating and stomach issues. On January 25, 2021 Heather went to the Emergency Department at UP Health Systems Marquette. Once she got there they ran an EKG, they believed Heather was having a heart attack. They sent to the cath lab and they didn’t find anything. She was then transferred to ICU in Marquette. While in ICU she got echos and an MRI, after discussing with the cardiologist in Marquette they felt she had Giant Cell Virus, and felt she would get better help at Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids due to possible needing left ventricle life support. When leaving UP Health Marquette she had a cardio output of 19%. She was then flown down to Spectrum hospital. They gave her three rounds of steroids to try and treat the Giant Cell Virus, while down there they ran many tests on Heather including, a PET scan, more echos, MRIs. While reviewing the echos it was discovered that Heather septum in her heart was extremely thin and had scar tissue. The septum of the heart is normally around 8mm thick while Heathers was around 2mm thick. A biopsy would have of diagnosed Heather but due to the thinness she would not of been able to have the biopsy without risking the chance of causing a hole in her septum. Heather was put on heart medicine and was discharged and sent home with a life vest on February 5, 2021. When discharged Heathers cardio output went up to 28%.
While Heather was home with her family, multiple visits to her primary care doctor, cardiologist, and the UP Health System Marquette Emergency Room. During that time Heather gained 15 pounds. Throughout all visits doctors felt it was extreme constipation. Doctors had Heather take many medicines to relieve the constipation. Heather got an X-ray, the doctors told her she was just constipated. Heather returned back to the Emergency Room in Marquette on March 3, 2021 where they discovered that her intestines were inflamed, and she was retaining water. She was then admitted to the hospital for the night to run tests. The next day March 4, 2021 they were able to discharge Heather and she returned back to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids. While returned to Spectrum they placed a Swann on her neck to monitor her heart, they then did more echos with regulation of right microvalve. During the night of the March 4 going into the morning of the March 5, doctors felt like Heather needed a colony flush. Around 10AM on March 5, her heart went into arrhythmia with heart rate of 201 and blood pressure of 83/54 during this the doctors and nurses gave Heather 3 IV injection to help lower her heart rate. After this had no effect they decided to send Heather to the ICU cardiac unit 5th floor. Heather spend March 5 to March 13 on life support with an emplla in her left ventricle and echo heart. During Heathers hospital stays she was never alone between her husband and brother being by her side. On March 12, 2021 the doctors made Heathers family aware that there was nothing more they could do for her. While a hard decision to take Heather off of life support was made for the next morning of March 13, 2021. March 13, 2021 in the morning the husband was contacted about Heather being an organ donor. Heather stayed on life support till around 11pm, around 10pm that night they did an honorable walk for Heather with her brother by her side and her family watching via IPad. Husband asked nursing staff if they could play I Love You by Climax Blues for Heather because he always told her it remained him of her and that it meant he was close by. Heather passed away on March 13, 2021 at 11pm with her brother by her side and family viewing. Heather was able to give life to those by donating her two kidneys.
Heather is leaving behind a husband, 3 children, but returning to one of them. Heather touched a lot of people’s hearts by being such a caring person and was always willing to help anyone. We are trying to help Heather and her family during this time since the household is going from two incomes to one income. We are trying to get Heather back to Marquette, so her family can see her one last time before being cremated to go home, with many medical expenses, also a proper autopsy done to understand what happened in such a short time.
All expenses are going to Heathers family.
Around the beginning of January Heather started having bloating and stomach issues. On January 25, 2021 Heather went to the Emergency Department at UP Health Systems Marquette. Once she got there they ran an EKG, they believed Heather was having a heart attack. They sent to the cath lab and they didn’t find anything. She was then transferred to ICU in Marquette. While in ICU she got echos and an MRI, after discussing with the cardiologist in Marquette they felt she had Giant Cell Virus, and felt she would get better help at Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids due to possible needing left ventricle life support. When leaving UP Health Marquette she had a cardio output of 19%. She was then flown down to Spectrum hospital. They gave her three rounds of steroids to try and treat the Giant Cell Virus, while down there they ran many tests on Heather including, a PET scan, more echos, MRIs. While reviewing the echos it was discovered that Heather septum in her heart was extremely thin and had scar tissue. The septum of the heart is normally around 8mm thick while Heathers was around 2mm thick. A biopsy would have of diagnosed Heather but due to the thinness she would not of been able to have the biopsy without risking the chance of causing a hole in her septum. Heather was put on heart medicine and was discharged and sent home with a life vest on February 5, 2021. When discharged Heathers cardio output went up to 28%.
While Heather was home with her family, multiple visits to her primary care doctor, cardiologist, and the UP Health System Marquette Emergency Room. During that time Heather gained 15 pounds. Throughout all visits doctors felt it was extreme constipation. Doctors had Heather take many medicines to relieve the constipation. Heather got an X-ray, the doctors told her she was just constipated. Heather returned back to the Emergency Room in Marquette on March 3, 2021 where they discovered that her intestines were inflamed, and she was retaining water. She was then admitted to the hospital for the night to run tests. The next day March 4, 2021 they were able to discharge Heather and she returned back to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids. While returned to Spectrum they placed a Swann on her neck to monitor her heart, they then did more echos with regulation of right microvalve. During the night of the March 4 going into the morning of the March 5, doctors felt like Heather needed a colony flush. Around 10AM on March 5, her heart went into arrhythmia with heart rate of 201 and blood pressure of 83/54 during this the doctors and nurses gave Heather 3 IV injection to help lower her heart rate. After this had no effect they decided to send Heather to the ICU cardiac unit 5th floor. Heather spend March 5 to March 13 on life support with an emplla in her left ventricle and echo heart. During Heathers hospital stays she was never alone between her husband and brother being by her side. On March 12, 2021 the doctors made Heathers family aware that there was nothing more they could do for her. While a hard decision to take Heather off of life support was made for the next morning of March 13, 2021. March 13, 2021 in the morning the husband was contacted about Heather being an organ donor. Heather stayed on life support till around 11pm, around 10pm that night they did an honorable walk for Heather with her brother by her side and her family watching via IPad. Husband asked nursing staff if they could play I Love You by Climax Blues for Heather because he always told her it remained him of her and that it meant he was close by. Heather passed away on March 13, 2021 at 11pm with her brother by her side and family viewing. Heather was able to give life to those by donating her two kidneys.
Heather is leaving behind a husband, 3 children, but returning to one of them. Heather touched a lot of people’s hearts by being such a caring person and was always willing to help anyone. We are trying to help Heather and her family during this time since the household is going from two incomes to one income. We are trying to get Heather back to Marquette, so her family can see her one last time before being cremated to go home, with many medical expenses, also a proper autopsy done to understand what happened in such a short time.
All expenses are going to Heathers family.
Organizer and beneficiary
Cecily Belden
Organizer
Gwinn, MI
Michael Belden
Beneficiary