Hope, Health, and Healing for Kelly’s Heart!

My mom, Kelly Smith, deserves so much more than life has offered her.

For those of you who don’t know, Kelly has been experiencing shortness of breath since her 4th round of Covid in August of 2023. She went to the doctor, and the doctor suggested that she get some scans done just to rule out any serious health complications. After a few CT scans, there were red flags raised on her heart + lungs. She was referred to a cardiologist & pulmonologist. She went through a PET scan and lymph node biopsy for some spots on her lungs - everything came back clear, and most of all, CANCER FREE. Praise the lord.

Through these scans, her cardiologist saw that her Mitral Valve was almost completely closed, and the pressures on the right side of her heart were dangerously high. For example, they’re supposed to be around 25/10, and hers are hovering around 140/60. She got diagnosed with severe mitral valve stenosis, and severe pulmonary hypertension. She heard the words, “you will need open heart surgery.”

Her whole world stopped. She is relatively healthy, she works hard, and has beat so many other health issues in her life - why this, why now?

She met with her cardiac surgeon, and he told her that due to the pressures in her heart, open heart surgery was not a safe option, but that they would do a heart catheterization to get better numbers and go from there. On January 5th, one day before her 55th birthday, she went in for the heart catheterization. They could not complete the heart cath, due to the pressures in her heart. She got admitted to the Cardiovascular ICU to give her medications to lower the pressures in her heart & monitor the pressures in real time through a SWAN catheter placed in her neck.

She was now considered a patient of the Heart Failure Team. They realized that her pressures were decreasing, but not nearly as much as they’d hoped with these medications.

The surgeons, head of the heart failure team, her cardiologist, and the structural team all had to get together to go over her case, and decide on what was going to be the best - safest - option for her. After countless meetings with many doctors and surgeons, the decision was made. Open heart surgery on January 18. This surgery is extremely high risk, and there is that chance that the right side of her heart will not restart.

The reality of mortality is staring her in the face, and I can only imagine what she is going through. The ones closest to her are struggling. She deserves to live a long, healthy, happy, life. Especially after just meeting her brand new grandbaby 2 months ago. She DESERVES to live. She DESERVES better. And that’s exactly what she’s going to get.

These doctors at Audubon have been phenomenal. No one wants to hear the words “terminal” used in a sentence about your case, and your heart, but they have reassured her that she has so much going for her - health wise - and they know they can be successful.

So, I’m making this because my mom is SO LOVED, and there have been many people asking how they can help, where they can send cards, and how they could donate money to her. She has been off work since November 20th. She went in to the hospital on January 5th, and won’t be discharged until the beginning of February. And as you can imagine, the bills & life do not stop.

I have personally seen all of the prayers, nice comments, well wishes, and encouragement everyone has left/written. It has not gone unnoticed, and that’s really all we ask for. Prayers that one day this will all be behind us, and we will be on a beach somewhere during a summer, celebrating Berkeley’s 1st birthday, celebrating her 56th birthday, celebrating all the holidays to come, and most importantly - celebrating LIFE!

Please don’t feel obligated to give money. Prayers, friendship, & encouragement are so appreciated. I plan to continue to keep everyone updated during this very scary part of life! Thank you for loving on my momma ✨