Kasie's Heart Transplant: A Family's Hope

Hi, my name is Kasie McCool.

As a lot of people know, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 congestive heart failure in 2021 after a struggle with COVID pneumonia and the COVID vaccine. Doctors are not sure if the heart failure came from the pneumonia itself or if the vaccine caused it, as there are a lot of other people who have developed heart issues after the vaccines. After fighting for 2 years with this struggle, numerous medications, IV treatments, hospital stays, etc., the condition simply got worse. I was referred to the local hospital’s transplant institute for further help since the hospital and doctors I had for 2 years could not help me anymore. I met with the LVAD and transplant team one time and was then at Stage 4 heart failure. Within 2 weeks of that visit, my defibrillator shocked me one night, and at the following visit, we learned through the ECHO that it could not shock me out of AFIB and that my heart’s ejection fraction had gone from 28% at the beginning, then down to 14% at my first visit 2 weeks prior, and finally at 8% at that visit. The doctor felt I was too sick and needed to be admitted for further treatment. I had to be put on ECMO first to try and strengthen my heart to be able to handle an LVAD placement, which is where they remove a section of your heart and implant a mechanical pump that makes your heart function. It’s called an LVAD because it’s a left ventricle assistive device. However, they were concerned that the right side was weak and that I may have issues down the road. After staying in the hospital from March 18 - May 3, 2024, I was discharged to come home. I did pretty well in the beginning but was admitted again in November for sepsis, again in December for being shocked 22 times in less than one hour because a line on the defibrillator messed up, and then again in January after falling and passing out numerous times, which caused me to break my neck in 2 places and my back in one place. During that visit, my lactic acid levels were critical, and I went into cardiac arrest. I woke up 3 days later and had no idea I was even in the hospital. The last thing I remembered was falling and the pain that went up my back and into my neck. We were told then that the right side of my heart was now too weak to handle the LVAD on its own, and I was then put on a constant dobutamine IV and was told I would now need a heart transplant to survive. My LVAD only lasted 6 months, while they were hopeful I could go years on that before needing something more drastic. I was on an IV pump at home and still on the LVAD as well. Without these 2, I would not be alive. Since our insurance wouldn’t allow us to have the transplant done in our state of Arkansas at Baptist Little Rock, since it’s not a center of excellence, we had to be given other options where this could be done. Nashville was the best option. Ascension West Hospital has the most awards for heart transplants, so we felt confident this was our best choice. We have met with them twice now, and they have now submitted the request for official heart listing, and we are now awaiting a new heart. I’m only 43. We have 2 young sons. I would like to see them complete milestones, graduation, prom, marriage, kids, etc. I don’t want to leave them or my husband now. I have a lot of life left in me, and I know that God has kept me alive through this for a reason, and He has plans for me still. While insurance pays for a lot of the expenses, they don’t pay for all, and they are costly and hard for a family with one working parent to handle. I have been on permanent disability since October 2023 due to this condition. I do bring home income from that, but again, it doesn’t pay for all. We would never ask anyone for help if we didn’t feel like we absolutely needed it. But we cannot handle all of the medical, lodging, travel, and normal expenses on our own. So, we are asking for help. If you cannot help monetarily, please pray for us. And share our story with others so that they may help and also pray. We will continue to update as more information becomes available, especially when we will have to be in Nashville more frequently for doctor visits. Thank you all for the help we have already gotten and the massive number of prayers we have. We will never be able to put into words our appreciation for all that has been done.

On July 2, 2025, at 12:30 am, we received a phone call that a heart had become available. Excited and nervous, we rushed and drove the 5.5-hour drive to Nashville, and I received a new heart later that evening. Now onto the journey of recovery.