Hi everyone, My name is Nicole, and I have dear friends who could really use our help. I met Cassie several years ago, and through meeting Cassie, I learned all about her, now fiancé, Kyle. Cassie and Kyle are both wonderful, giving, and just incredible individuals. After dating for several years, they became engaged earlier this year. After their engagement, they bought their first townhome together. They both have been so excited to start this incredible journey together. However…

Kyle is one of the bravest and strongest individuals I’ve ever met. Kyle received his first heart transplant when he was just 14 years old because he has a rare genetic condition which damaged his first heart. He was born with a certain gene, and I’m not sure exactly what it is called, but he experienced so much going through his first heart transplant. He even had a stroke. Kyle had a great ten years with this heart, which was donated from a young boy around his age. He lived his life to the fullest! Kyle loves to golf in his free time. He really loves his family, his dogs, and his Cassie. Kyle really has a heart of gold.

When he met Cassie he completely stole her heart as well as the hearts of her entire family. Kyle is the type of person who does just about anything Cassie wants to, even if it’s not always what he wants to do. She filled their lives with lots of adventures. They have so much fun together and have started to create memories that will last forever. They went to Charleston, took a trip to Disney World, summer trips to Outer Banks, and they just bought their first home in June.

Over the last year though, Kyle’s heart has told us it was struggling. He started not feeling well in August of 2023. He would pass out, have tightness in his chest, and he developed gout. He was just in and out of the hospital. The doctors were amazing and got Kyle an extra year with the heart, and he and Cassie had some great times in this last year but it has also been so stressful. He had to weigh himself every morning to see if he gained any fluid, and there were multiple times over the year where he was admitted for days, or even weeks, at a time.

Most recently, Cassie heard a loud thump in the bathroom and she found Kyle on the floor, and he was unresponsive. He was in cardiac arrest. Kyle’s face was purple and black. EMTs arrived and were able to get him stable, and Kyle was transported to University of Maryland. This is the same hospital in which Kyle has been treated since he was 14. He was intubated for over a week, and is just now starting to get the work up done for a retransplant. He has been approved for both a heart and kidney transplant. Kyle needs a kidney because of all of the medications that he has been given throughout the years. The kidneys have declined and would only continue to decline with all of the medications from a new heart. He’s also on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).

I am worried about Cassie and Kyle being able to to make their monthly mortgage payment. I don’t want either one of them to have to worry. Cassie wants to spend as much time with him in the hospital during this time. She truly loves him so much.

Cassie is such a hard-worker, working at our local orthodontist office as an assistant as well as a part-time job at our local neighborhood restaurant and bar, Park Tavern. She’s a friendly face people look forward to seeing when they come in for food and drinks.

My hope in creating this fundraiser for Cassie and Kyle is that they can be together as he prepares for another heart transplant. Kyle has a long road ahead of him, and I know he wants Cassie by his side. If we can help financially then she can take some time off work to be with him throughout this journey.

I will post updates soon! Thank you all so very much for your generosity and prayers.