Matters of the Heart 2

You may not have heard from my dad or myself in a while, and that is because...

My dad has a new heart!

Some background:

In September 2020, my dad was admitted to the General Hospital in Regina for chest pain, before being diagnosed with failure of the heart, lungs, and kidneys. Dad spent 2 weeks in the CCU, becoming more and more ill, until a doctor decided that they could not provide the care that he required.

On Saturday, September 26, 2020, with 2 hours notice, he was flown to Edmonton by air ambulance and was admitted to the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute. After being there for about 2 weeks, dad found out that he would be undergoing open heart surgery. On October 9th, they implanted a Left Ventricular Assist Device, also known as LVAD or simply VAD, into his heart, as his was no longer strong enough to pump on its own. This was to be followed by a minimum of 25 days in hospital to recover and rehabilitate, and then 3 more months living in Edmonton with regular appointments, checkups, and bloodwork. I stayed the entire time with him as a medically necessary support person. Neither of us had any idea that we would have to be away from home for so long. Both my dad and I had to leave our houses and lives on short notice, yet still had bills piling up. I had to leave my new job. Above all of that, we still had to pay for accommodations and food in Edmonton, where we didn't know anyone. When all was said and done, we spent almost 5 months there, and even after finding the most reasonably-priced yet accessible Airbnb's, our unexpected expenses added up to over $10,000.

My dad and I were finally able to come home late February 2021 and were very excited to get back to our lives. Once home, we still had to visit Edmonton every 2 or 3 months for checkups. Dad was informed that, with time and a good track record, he could be a candidate for a heart transplant, which could improve his quality of life and reduce some unpleasant symptoms from the VAD.

Dad was approved to go on the transplant list in November, and on February 18, 2023, he received a phone call in the middle of the night from his medical team, saying they had a heart for him! They flew him to the Mazankowski once again. I packed my bags, gave my place of employment my notice, and drove to Edmonton to be with him for the next few months.

After surgery, just like last time, he is expected to have a hospital stay of 3-4 weeks, followed again by a stay in Edmonton for at least another 3 months as he has to be near the hospital for tests, monitoring, and checkups. I have rented an AirBNB close to the hospital for us to stay once he is discharged. And again, during this time, I am without a job, but still have a mortgage and bills to pay back home in Regina.

With inflation, unfortunately, everything seems to be even more expensive than our previous visit. If you are able to donate to help out, please do so. Absolutely any amount will be appreciated. If you are not able to donate, please share this fundraiser and keep my dad in your thoughts!