My dad, David Gray, is currently facing the fight of his life. After a sudden cardiac event on January 5th while he was at work, his internal defibrillator was triggered nine times, and he was rushed to the hospital. While there, they determined that his heart's ejection fraction had plummeted to only 5%. His kidney and liver function had begun to fail as a result. He was placed on a balloon pump that keeps his heart pumping and blood flowing to his other organs, because his heart is not able to do that on its own. His doctors felt that was the quickest course of action in order to buy them some time to come up with the best possible permanent solution for him. Following extensive testing, his doctors determined that he would need a heart transplant to survive. He is now hospitalized indefinitely in Philadelphia, waiting for a donor heart. On Monday, January 20th, he was officially listed and has been classified as a Status 2 on the transplant list, which is one of the most urgent.
The emotional and financial toll on our family the last few weeks has been overwhelming. My dad’s medical bills are mounting, and he will require lifelong medications to prevent rejection of his new heart once he receives it. In addition to these medical expenses, we are also facing significant costs just to be by his side. Parking at the hospital is a major ongoing expense, especially for my mother who has been up to see him every day since he was admitted. Every day, we are doing our best to support him and stay hopeful, but we can’t do it alone.
Any support, whether through a donation or simply by sharing our story, would mean so much to our family as we navigate this difficult journey. My dad is a loving husband to my mother Jennifer, a devoted father to his three children including myself, my sister Hannah, and my brother Jordan, and he recently became a first-time grandfather to his granddaughter, Kenzie May. We cannot fathom losing him, and we are endlessly grateful for his medical team that has been taking such great care of him. We are deeply grateful for any kindness and generosity you can offer. Thank you for helping us give my dad a second chance at life.
The emotional and financial toll on our family the last few weeks has been overwhelming. My dad’s medical bills are mounting, and he will require lifelong medications to prevent rejection of his new heart once he receives it. In addition to these medical expenses, we are also facing significant costs just to be by his side. Parking at the hospital is a major ongoing expense, especially for my mother who has been up to see him every day since he was admitted. Every day, we are doing our best to support him and stay hopeful, but we can’t do it alone.
Any support, whether through a donation or simply by sharing our story, would mean so much to our family as we navigate this difficult journey. My dad is a loving husband to my mother Jennifer, a devoted father to his three children including myself, my sister Hannah, and my brother Jordan, and he recently became a first-time grandfather to his granddaughter, Kenzie May. We cannot fathom losing him, and we are endlessly grateful for his medical team that has been taking such great care of him. We are deeply grateful for any kindness and generosity you can offer. Thank you for helping us give my dad a second chance at life.