Help Kenneth Live!!!

Hi, my name is Kenneth Williams, a heart transplant candidate. My health struggle/journey began 17 years ago after being diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy. I had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery (Double Bypass) a week after being diagnosed. About 10 years after my open-heart surgery, a Defibrillator was implanted.

Fast forward, around 2019, my heart began to deteriorate quickly. It was a struggle to walk up and down the stairs without stopping (very unusual for me). Fluid began to build up more rapidly for almost no known reason. Whereas I may miss 1 day from the gym, now I'm skipping 2 or 3 days a week and unable to work. For those that know me, know that's alarming and unusual. Over the course of 2 years (2019-2021) my Ejection Fraction measurements decreased drastically (14%). In 2021, due to my heart failure progressing, I was sent to Duke Hospital to consult with their cardiac and transplant team. I was informed that we may have to visit the idea of a heart transplant in about 6 months or a year if my health continued to decline.

Initially, my care plan consisted of starting me on some new medications, while adjusting some of my old medications, and maintaining a heart healthy diet. This new health regiment made me feel a little better for about a year before my health got worse. At the beginning of June of this year, I started going in and out of the hospital for weeks at a time. A heart transplant is no longer something to think about, it's now NECESSARY, if I want to live. My doctors are trying to expedite this process but as we all know, it's just that a process. In July, my cardiologist inserted a pick-line in my chest so the medication (Milrinone) can go straight to my heart. This medication is used as a lifeline prior to transplant.

Although, I'm feeling hopeful with this medication as I wait and go through the pre-transplant process; my days are still a struggle. My days consist of mostly sleeping. While awake, daily activities such as taking a shower, going to the grocery store, or even walking to the car from the front door is almost impossible. It's very hard to breathe and I cough uncontrollably. It's embarrassing to be around people due to the coughing because they don't understand it's fluid and nothing contagious. I have lost 100 pounds and have very little to no strength. I don't make plans with my children, other family members, or friends anymore. This too has been a struggle because as much as I would like to spend time and make memories with them, I'm unable to do so.

As part of the process, I am required to reach my funding goal before I'm placed on the transplant list. My funding goal is to assist with any medical expenses or transplant related expenses my insurance may not cover. I am hopeful, once my funding goal has been met, the process will move forward quickly.

ANY AMOUNT IS A TREMENDOUS BLESSING!!!

I JUST WANT TO LIVE!!!