Help With Expenses for Dave’s Transplant Journey

Update:

Yesterday was a day full of information and tons of rapidly moving parts. Dave got fast tracked through all the transplant approval steps. Discussions that would normally happen over 3 days happened in 5 hours. They were going to have a meeting this morning to present Dave's case and potentially approve him to be listed for transplant, but the team actually pulled together an ad hoc meeting last night and got it settled. They're waiting on one blood test result which should be in this morning and will be able to have him listed as priority 1 for transplant which will take about 7-10 days.

As many of you know, my brother Dave was life-flighted to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center early Friday morning. He went into cardiac arrest and also aspirated causing some lung issues. His wife, Sam, was able to do cpr until help arrived. Because of everything that happened his heart function dropped back to where it started in September 2024 .

His system has undergone a lot of stress. When they got him to the hospital, both his lungs and heart were in shock and due to the lack of oxygen, his system was very weak. They put him on tons of medicine, and he was initially put on a ventilator to support his lungs. Luckily, that has been removed.

They had planned to put a temporary balloon pump in his heart to support it for a bit but it was too weak for the procedure. Right now they have him hooked up to an ECMO machine which basically pumps and oxygenates his blood.

After his heart cath and echocardiogram yesterday, he had a total of 2 arrhythmia events that were stopped by a defibrillator before they caused further issues. The cath showed no new blockages which was good, but that also means we didn't get a cause for the arrhythmia. Given that he's had 2 so close together and they were a little difficult to control, they are associating them with electrical misfiring in the heart due to scar tissue. They have got him supported with the ecmo, but this is now leading them to starting the process for more sustainable, permanent solutions. They have talked to the team, and they are starting the sign up process for advance treatment. They don't think a long term pump is the best option and are looking at stage 1(highest spot) on the heart transplant list.

That being said, it’s going to be a very long road and they need all the support they can get from friends and family during this time. Sam and Dave are both unable to work and will need financial assistance over the next few months. When they return home, a meal train will also be setup for them.

Dave is looking at 1-2 weeks waiting for the heart transplant. 4-6 weeks in the hospital after transplant. Once they return home, he will need around the clock care for a few months.

We all fully believe he is in this hospital at this time for a reason. And God got him here just in time. God answers prayers and provides miracles, they just look different than what we hoped and that’s ok. We know he's going to be fine, because God is going to carry us through this.

We want to thank all of you for praying for him and please keep the prayers coming. We need them. We know God is here and holding Dave in His hands. He has been with Dave and Sam every step of the way and we know He is in control. Please know we, his family, and Dave and Sam love you all and are so thankful for you.