Mark Livingston and Family Fund

We’re all familiar with the “perfect storm” cliché. Sometimes, people use it in ways that don’t really apply. 

Mark Livingston and his family – wife Kirstyn and wonderful children Maya, age 11, and Owen, 9 – are in the midst of circumstances this cliché applies to, and that no amount of planning can prevent or manage.  And they need our help.

As many of you know, Mark and Kirstyn already have been managing several life-changing events.

In November 2017 Mark had to undergo unexpected open-heart surgery. And, even though he was insured, the insurance did not cover the life-saving expenses they incurred, and it definitely didn’t cover the income the family lost while Mark was unable to work during his recovery.

This followed just two months after the devastating hurricanes Irma and Maria left their home uninhabitable.  They have been living in a 5th-wheel travel trailer on their property for over a year as their home is still undergoing repairs.  As with so many families, the insurance they carried did not protect (and could not possibly have protected) the family from all of the financial impact they suffered, especially when followed by Mark’s medical emergency.  Their financial safety net was decimated. 

Mark and Kirstyn persevered with the spirit and humor and resilience we all cherish so much.  Even when they learned that Mark had to undergo another open heart surgery to re-repair his mitral valve. And on Valentine’s Day, it seemed that his surgery was a complete success … until he did not wake from the anesthesia.

A CT scan revealed that Mark had suffered a stroke during surgery.

Mark has been in ICU in Dallas since then.  Tests have revealed that the stroke caused significant harm.  Because he’s been mostly out of consciousness, the full extent is not yet clear. One thing, however, is very clear: Mark, Kirstyn, and their family are facing a long and uncertain path to a recovery that is not assured.

At this point, we know only two things:

First, Mark will have to stay under the care of health professionals in Dallas for at least the next several months, and won’t be able to work as a physician in private practice for the foreseeable future.

Second, the perfect storm of health-care expenses – plus the cost of rebuilding – amplified by the income they’ve already lost and will continue to lose as Mark is unable to work and Kirstyn travels between home and Dallas, hoping to return to her own practice as a mental health therapist as soon as possible while trying to assure as much normalcy for their children as she can – has wiped out the family’s financial safety net.

As their friends and community can attest, Mark and Kirstyn have dedicated their personal and professional lives to helping others.  But they have found themselves now in the position of needing significant help themselves.

Your prayers, love, and messages of support have sustained Kirstyn since Mark’s stroke. She could not have managed without them. She is grateful to everyone who has helped in practical ways with meals, care packages, transportation, and other support for Maya, Owen, and Kirstyn’s dad, Dan, as he cares for the children while she remains at the hospital with Mark.

Now what Mark, Kirstyn, Maya, and Owen need – and will need for months to come – is financial help.

Fear of unexpected health expenses weighs heavily in our consciousness for a good reason: the costs of care, even with insurance, are simply ruinous. Mark and Kirstyn can no longer absorb the expenses they will face as Mark recovers. Their household income has been slashed, and it seems unlikely they will ever recover it completely. And no one knows what additional unexpected expenses their family will confront as Mark heals. 

Mark and Kirstyn have helped countless individuals live healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Now it’s time for all of us, as individuals, to help Mark, Kirstyn, Maya, and Owen.

Any amount helps, and everyone who cares for this wonderful family is grateful for whatever you can contribute.