Help Kim with life saving heart surgery

Hi, my name is Kim, and I’m humbly asking for your support as I fight for my life.

I was born with a complex set of congenital heart defects that weren’t discovered until adulthood — including a patent foramen ovale (PFO), atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD), and an aneurysmal interatrial septum. I also live with chronic respiratory failure and exertional hypoxemia, which means my oxygen levels drop dangerously low even with simple movement — sometimes into the low 80s.

In 2021, I survived both a pulmonary embolism and a right atrial thrombus — a clot inside my heart. These life-threatening events were likely triggered in part by a rare, inherited PRKG1 pathogenic gene mutation.

What Is PRKG1 and Why Does It Matter?

PRKG1 is a gene that regulates how smooth muscle cells function in your blood vessels — especially in your aorta and arteries. A pathogenic mutation in this gene can cause severe, silent damage: the walls of major arteries weaken and stretch dangerously over time, leading to aortic aneurysms, dissections, and sudden cardiac death — even in people with no other symptoms.

This mutation, combined with my structural heart issues, puts me in a very high-risk category for catastrophic events. Doctors suspect that my aortic root may already be affected, but I haven’t been able to get the advanced care I need where I live. My current cardiologist has told me he won’t treat me until I’ve had a stroke. I can’t wait for that to happen.

Where I’m Trying to Get Care

Right now, I’m actively working to be seen by a specialist surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, one of the few places with the experience and specialty care needed to address both my genetic vascular disorder and congenital heart defects.

I am currently on Medicaid, but out-of-state hospitals do not accept Medicaid. I’m working with Charity Care at Johns Hopkins, which may help cover my surgery and medical needs — and potentially lodging and travel costs for me. However, they cannot cover travel or lodging for my support system — my mom and my son Zaiden, who are both critical to my recovery.

Why I’m Asking for Help

This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do — asking for help. Especially financial help. But the truth is, I can’t do this alone. And more than anything, I want to survive this so I can be here for my son.

Zaiden is my whole world. He’s my reason for fighting, and I want to be here for his milestones, for the little moments, and for every day I get to be his mom. This journey has been terrifying, and asking for help is incredibly humbling — but I’m doing it because I want to live.

Your support will help cover:

Travel and lodging for my mom and Zaiden

Any out-of-pocket expenses I’ll incur while being treated out-of-state

Supplies I’ll need during and after surgery (mobility aids, oxygen support, meals, etc.)

Support during recovery so I can heal without added financial stress

Cover any medical expenses, medications, lodging or airfair for me not covered by Charity Care

Even $5 helps move me closer to safety and recovery. If you can’t donate, please consider sharing my story with your community.

Stay Updated

If anything changes with my care, travel, or medical situation, I’ll update this GoFundMe page as well as my Facebook to keep everyone in the loop. Your support means the world to me.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, caring, and helping me fight to be here for my son.

Love,

—Kim