Hi! My name is Nicole and our dear family friend Heather Moore experienced a stroke on the night of Thursday, October 27th. Roughly eight-hours after awakening from her stroke event she was able to text her significant other, Mark Ballew, the words, “help.” Mark is a captain and 27-year veteran with the Charlotte Fire Department. Mark was on shift in Charlotte and was 3.5 hours from Heather. He was able to have CFD Communications call 911 in Pender County. Heather was transported by EMS to the hospital where she works as a NICU nurse practitioner.

Unfortunately, Heather had multiple strokes on the left side of her brain. Although more tests are still being run, it appears from the transesophageal echocardiogram that Heather has a PFO (patent foramen ovale). This is a hole in her heart, likely from a congenital heart defect. She will undergo a major cardiac procedure to close the hole that ultimately led to her stroke.

Heather has a long road of recovery ahead. She is unable to work because of the damage the stroke has caused. She is incredibly determined to get back to her pre-stroke self. People have generously signed up for shifts for Mark so that his main focus can be helping Heather navigate things and be her primary caretaker. Heather will have significant medical bills (which will be ongoing for quite some time).

The purpose of this GoFundMe is to help alleviate the stress of finances. It is not yet determined how long Heather will be out of work. However, she will have additional costs of insurance in addition to her loss of income. Unfortunately, Heather had only been in her current position at the hospital for 10 months and does not yet qualify for short term or long term disability. If you are unable to donate, prayers are certainly appreciated. Many people have inquired of ways to help/donate so I created this GoFundMe. However, if you would prefer to use Venmo I am happy to provide Mark’s Venmo to you.