Help Kenny Get a Life-Saving Heart Transplant

HELP SAVE KENNY: Hello, my name is Joni Blankenship. I have been married to my loving husband Kenny for thirty-six years and we still like each other. On July 18th, we got the news that flipped our world upside down. During our visit with Dr. Michael Pham of CPMC Center for Advanced Heart Failure Therapies, we were told that Kenny must have a heart transplant in order to survive. You see, Kenny is only 53, and has suffered through multiple heart attacks, fifteen stents, and a failed triple bypass for the last twenty years. His Coronary Artery Disease is caused by genetics. He has never had high cholesterol. He has always been in good physical shape with a very sick heart.

Kenny was an active, fun-loving man. He worked in construction all of his life until he was brought low with multiple heart attacks. He loved to go camping, hiking, and canoeing. We so hope that we will be able to enjoy those activities again after his transplant.

We need help financially so that I may travel back and forth from home to the Center in San Francisco multiple times each month. The expense of lodging there is extremely high.

We need help financially so that we can afford to pay all of the medical expenses that he will be accruing during his long-term stay before the heart transplant (they have to install a pump to keep him alive/stable until he receives the new heart) and after.

We need help financially so that I can take time off work to be with him after the heart transplant. I will be off at least five weeks. I am a Community Manager for a large Senior Mobile Home Park.

We have always been independent and have not asked for much help during our life together. This asking for help from friends and strangers is not easy for either of us. I decided to ask for help so that some of his worry and stress will be lessened. I hope you can help Kenny and I get through this. Every little bit counts. God bless all of you.