Support Navy chief Thomas Hobbs' Heart Transplant Recovery

I am setting this up on behalf of our dear friend Thomas Hobbs, who has suffered from heart failure.

Thomas needs financial help in this difficult time. His family faces an enormous financial burden.

Thomas was healthy happy man, active duty navy chief, he never had any health issues. Everything started on family vacation in NC this past June when (Tom) woke up in the middle of the night, his heart was racing, he was feeling short of breath, and was coughing up blood. His wife took him to a local ER where he was diagnosed with “pneumonia” and was admitted to the hospital for a few days. Fast forward 30 days of antibiotics later and 3 different ER visits with the same diagnosis… Something didn’t add up. He kept getting worse and no one cared to dig deeper. Finally, on July 29th, he was admitted to the hospital in Panama City where doctors took a closer look at his heart. The fluid they saw on all 3 X-rays was never in his lungs; it was around his heart. So he never had “pneumonia,” he had “Congestive Heart Failure.” The next day, the family was told his ejection fraction was 5-10% and that his heart could stop at any time. He stayed in the hospital for 8 days and was released with some heart meds they were hoping would make his heart stronger and a life vest that could shock his heart if it was ever to stop beating. Fast forward 30 more days… Meds weren’t working, he got worse each day! He couldn’t walk, he couldn’t eat/drink, he wasn’t getting enough blood circulation anywhere… he was dying in front of family eyes. They went back to the hospital on 9/4 but there was nothing else they could do locally; his organs were failing, and he needed a New Heart! He got transferred via ambulance to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville on 9/6, and after a thorough evaluation, he was placed on life support and was listed for a Heart Transplant a few days later. It was a nightmare they couldn’t wake up from! Finally, at midnight on 9/13, a Transplant Doctor came in with the best news! They found a match, and Tom is getting a New Heart! He went into surgery at 4 pm on Friday the 13th, and 10 long hours later, his wife Oksana got to hold his warm hand. His new heart was beating so strong, his body was finally getting the blood flow it needed, and his other organs began to heal! 26 days later, on 10/2, Tom was released from the Mayo Clinic with a new re-birthday of 9/13! The family is still in Jacksonville and will remain here for the next 3 months for recovery and all follow-up appointments and biopsies.

Thank you for considering supporting Thomas. Any amount helps, and your prayers mean a lot to the family.