Hi everyone! Our friend, Kristi Jo (Whitefield) Dover, needs our help. This isn’t easy news to share, but this is something she cannot endure alone.

 

Some of you may not know that Kristi was born with a rare congenital heart defect, had a life-saving surgery when she was born and multiple other surgeries when she was a child. In the last year her health has declined. So now Kristi Jo needs a heart transplant, which will be performed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. That will place a huge financial and emotional burden on her family, and so the Dovers need as much support as we can give.

 

We are coming to our friends and family for prayers and support.

From Kristi :

“Hello everyone,

As Stacy said, I was born with a heart condition called Transposition of the Great Vessels. I had several open heart surgeries as a child to correct it, and although they told my parents I would be sick and fragile my whole life and maybe not even be able to talk or walk… God showed them what HE could do! Because of the Lord and my sweet, brave parents, I’ve had an amazing life. I have the best big sister (Kim) and big brother (Jerry), who been through it all with me. I grew up playing sports and my parents and doctors allowed me to do whatever I felt like doing. Despite being advised that it may not be safe to have a baby, we were able to have two wonderful, healthy boys!

 

I am so thankful that because of my heart condition, I was around nurses my whole life growing up and this allowed me to watch how they made a difference in patients’ and their families’ lives, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do too. I have been a nurse for 22 years. I absolutely love taking care of people. I am so grateful for that time in my life working, and I was deeply saddened when in 2020 my health would no longer allow me to work.

 

As I got older, my heart started to show wear, and it has caused other health problems, in addition to those problems I had to have a pacemaker put in 2001. About a year ago, I started having more problems and feeling pretty bad. I started having swelling, shortness of breath and weakness all the time. I also had to go on oxygen full time beginning early this year. The doctors figured out that I have restrictive heart failure.

 

A couple of months ago we had some procedures scheduled to correct some things and help improve my symptoms, but when they got in there, they realized it was not something that could be fixed with stents or medication. The heart failure is severe and it’s not pumping well; my liver is also not functioning well.

 

I need a heart transplant. And I may also need a liver transplant.

 

We were sent to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. They have done the most in the world and have fantastic outcomes. Chad and I have just spent the week there to be evaluated for a heart transplant and a possible liver transplant as well. I cannot explain how amazing this place was. A whole other level of care; we know this is where God wants us to be to have the best chance of a new life.

 

After my transplant, we will be required to live near the hospital in Tennessee for a year. Chad will be my caregiver throughout recovery and rehab. This is all happening sooner than we originally thought.

 

It’s really hard for me to ask for help because I’m way more comfortable being the helper, but we cannot do this alone. I have the best family, friends and church a girl could have. I could never thank all of you enough for the prayers and support we have already gotten. We just ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers, especially Chad and the boys. This is not just about me. I know God will give me what I need to get through it. Chad, Landon and Joseph have been my lifeline and because of that they need all of the support from our family and friends they can get. We don’t know yet what our living arrangements will look like, but we do know there will be a lot of time apart because of school. Please, please keep them lifted in prayer. Check on them, hang out, call them…they need all of it.

 

I would have never dreamed we would need to ask for help like this, but we are humbly asking for any donation, prayer, positive energy or anything you can think of! We love you guys and we will keep you updated with what’s going on.

 

All our love,

 

Kristi Jo”