Help Sara pay for Heart Surgery
Donation protected
Hello Family and Friends,
Please join us in relieving some of the financial stress of this surgery and recovery for Sara. We feel very fortunate, confident, and comfortable knowing that Sara is at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN - where they perform the most Mitral Valve Prolapse surgeries in the country. Unfortunately, the Mayo Clinic is out-of-network for Health Partners, Sara’s medical insurance provider. Your contributions will be used to help cover the $10,000 deductible - and will no doubt lead to a much quicker recovery for Sara, who is eager to get back to spending time with her son, Oscar.
Follow along for updates on Sara’s surgery and her road to recovery.
Sara’s Post
Pre-Surgery - April 30, 2019
“So how’d we get here? About five years ago, my doctor heard a faint heart murmur at a routine checkup. This was the same obstetrician I’d had for a decade, in fact he’d delivered Oscar, so the murmur was new to both of us. He ordered an echocardiogram to rule out anything serious which revealed I had “Bileaflet Mitral Valve Prolapse with moderate blood regurgitation” (interpret: a valve that’s sort of floppy and inefficient). So at 35, feeling completely healthy, I was told I was born with a heart defect. By all standards, my condition wasn’t serious. Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is fairly common and most people who have one never notice a thing. So, the plan was just to keep an eye on it and for several years, that’s what we did. No symptoms, no concern.
Fast forward to last September when that plan quickly shifted - this time the echocardiogram indicated that my heart was in distress. Numerous tests and scans at the U of M and Mayo Clinic showed inconsistent rhythms, scar tissue on the healthy side of my heart due to overcompensation, significant increase of blood traveling back into the atrium and overall heart dilation 10% in size. More recently, I’m beginning to show symptoms. I experience shortness of breath going up small flights of stairs, my balance is off more often than I’d like to admit, I tire easily and my energy can drop very quickly.
So, we need to fix it before it gets worse. The plan is to repair the valve at Mayo with a minimally invasive robotic procedure under the expert guidance of two passionate, enthusiastic surgeons. It will mean about a week at St Mary’s hospital in Rochester and another 6 or so weeks at home recovering.”
Thank you for all the support and love.
With our deepest gratitude,
Sara & Family
Please join us in relieving some of the financial stress of this surgery and recovery for Sara. We feel very fortunate, confident, and comfortable knowing that Sara is at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN - where they perform the most Mitral Valve Prolapse surgeries in the country. Unfortunately, the Mayo Clinic is out-of-network for Health Partners, Sara’s medical insurance provider. Your contributions will be used to help cover the $10,000 deductible - and will no doubt lead to a much quicker recovery for Sara, who is eager to get back to spending time with her son, Oscar.
Follow along for updates on Sara’s surgery and her road to recovery.
Sara’s Post
Pre-Surgery - April 30, 2019
“So how’d we get here? About five years ago, my doctor heard a faint heart murmur at a routine checkup. This was the same obstetrician I’d had for a decade, in fact he’d delivered Oscar, so the murmur was new to both of us. He ordered an echocardiogram to rule out anything serious which revealed I had “Bileaflet Mitral Valve Prolapse with moderate blood regurgitation” (interpret: a valve that’s sort of floppy and inefficient). So at 35, feeling completely healthy, I was told I was born with a heart defect. By all standards, my condition wasn’t serious. Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is fairly common and most people who have one never notice a thing. So, the plan was just to keep an eye on it and for several years, that’s what we did. No symptoms, no concern.
Fast forward to last September when that plan quickly shifted - this time the echocardiogram indicated that my heart was in distress. Numerous tests and scans at the U of M and Mayo Clinic showed inconsistent rhythms, scar tissue on the healthy side of my heart due to overcompensation, significant increase of blood traveling back into the atrium and overall heart dilation 10% in size. More recently, I’m beginning to show symptoms. I experience shortness of breath going up small flights of stairs, my balance is off more often than I’d like to admit, I tire easily and my energy can drop very quickly.
So, we need to fix it before it gets worse. The plan is to repair the valve at Mayo with a minimally invasive robotic procedure under the expert guidance of two passionate, enthusiastic surgeons. It will mean about a week at St Mary’s hospital in Rochester and another 6 or so weeks at home recovering.”
Thank you for all the support and love.
With our deepest gratitude,
Sara & Family
Organizer and beneficiary
Mike Thorson
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
Sara Faas
Beneficiary