Heather & Scott Sweigart Fundraiser
Donation protected
Crohn’s is an awful disease that takes pieces of you at its own discretion; sometimes it takes little pieces and sometimes it takes big ones. Sometimes the pieces Crohn’s takes are part of your self-image, your confidence and sometimes it takes physical pieces leaving the scars to prove it. Either way you never know how, or when, it will unleash its potentially devastating effects on you.
March 20 2012 changed my family's life forever. Heather suffered a perforation in her large intestine and went into septic shock. Since that day Heather has stayed in 13 different medical facilities and spent 3 of the last 4 ½ years in the hospital. Heather has fought, and overcome, many health challenges; some of the most serious being:
* 4 Spine compression fractures
* 5 Septic infections
* 7 Times on a ventilator
* 20 Surgeries
* Removal of her large intestine
* Amputation of all her fingers on both hands
It was during her 16th surgery, February 2015, when it was confirmed Heather would need a life saving small intestine transplant. Unfortunately, over the summer of 2015 Heather had suffered her 4th and 5th septic infections. Her last septic infection was so severe that I was told to get my family together because they didn't think Heather would make it through the night. While Heather did make it through the night she experienced an infection that would require amputation of all her fingers on both hands.
Heather has fought so hard to get better and that fight continues as Heather had her small intestine transplant on September 26, 2016. Our journey has taken us from our home in Harrisburg, PA to Johns Hopkins and ultimately to The Cleveland Clinic.
Why Cleveland, OH? There are seven places in the country that perform small intestine transplants and the best program is at The Cleveland Clinic!
Heather is a CHAMPION and while she doesn't feel very strong, or courageous, she has been an inspiration to countless numbers of people.
She's come too far to only come this far!
March 20 2012 changed my family's life forever. Heather suffered a perforation in her large intestine and went into septic shock. Since that day Heather has stayed in 13 different medical facilities and spent 3 of the last 4 ½ years in the hospital. Heather has fought, and overcome, many health challenges; some of the most serious being:
* 4 Spine compression fractures
* 5 Septic infections
* 7 Times on a ventilator
* 20 Surgeries
* Removal of her large intestine
* Amputation of all her fingers on both hands
It was during her 16th surgery, February 2015, when it was confirmed Heather would need a life saving small intestine transplant. Unfortunately, over the summer of 2015 Heather had suffered her 4th and 5th septic infections. Her last septic infection was so severe that I was told to get my family together because they didn't think Heather would make it through the night. While Heather did make it through the night she experienced an infection that would require amputation of all her fingers on both hands.
Heather has fought so hard to get better and that fight continues as Heather had her small intestine transplant on September 26, 2016. Our journey has taken us from our home in Harrisburg, PA to Johns Hopkins and ultimately to The Cleveland Clinic.
Why Cleveland, OH? There are seven places in the country that perform small intestine transplants and the best program is at The Cleveland Clinic!
Heather is a CHAMPION and while she doesn't feel very strong, or courageous, she has been an inspiration to countless numbers of people.
She's come too far to only come this far!
Organizer
Scott Sweigart
Organizer
Cleveland, OH
