Keeping My Heart Against All Odds

I'm genuinely embarrassed to be put in this situation. I'm the one that raises funds. I'm the one that promotes the product. it's quite painful to be in this situation.

As many of you know, I went into the hospital to receive -- what I thought. was -- a simple procedure to adjust my heart rate. what they found when they went in was a blood clot in the middle of my heart. This prohibited them from doing just about anything to level my heart. Now, seven procedures in, and approaching an entire month in the hospital hooked up to machinery, I am on a list for a heart transplant. You don't just apply for a new heart, you are submitted for grueling tests to make sure your body can accept a new organ. The good news is, they feel I'm a candidate and are now working on putting me on the list.

That's the only good news.

I just got word (after another painful procedure) that I will need to be in the hospital until a heart becomes available or I lose my place in line -- can you believe it??? What this does is prohibit me from going back to work. As I am a visiting professor, I lose ALL my teaching jobs and thus in turn my health insurance.

I am trying desperately to keep my business afloat. Several clients, fearing that my health situation would prohibit me from doing my best work for them, have opted out of my service. While I assured them that mentally I'm the same guy, and not only that, but I now have an amazing staff of people working for me. The double-edged sword of that is, now I have salaries to pay.

Mary is now in charge of the company but she is trying desperately to finish school (six months left -- that's it) and then she is licensed to practice in New York and help us get back on our feet -- but until then we are in bad shape.

I'm looking at applying for other insurance, emergency disability, loans, etc. we've already gone through several thousand dollars of expenses that insurance doesn't pay. with no end in sight. we're figuring out how to pay rent and utilities.

As I say all the time in my pitch, I know how much money you don't have. But I'm in a situation where I have no choice but to ask. Believe me, this is the one method that I never thought I'd resort to. Anything you can contribute, no matter what, is truly life-saving. And that's not me being exaggerative.

On behalf of my entire family, and - pardon the pun - from the bottom of my heart - thank you.