A Lifetime of Heart Battles. Please Help My Sister’s Family Stay Together While Phil Fights for His Life

Some people quietly spend their lives giving everything to others.

Phil is one of those people.

He is the kindest, most thoughtful and genuinely caring person you could ever meet. He is a patient and gentle dad whose four children absolutely adore him. He shows up for everyone, even while his own body has been failing him for his entire life.

I am writing this on behalf of my sister and her husband Phil.

Phil is 42 years old and was born with complex congenital heart disease including situs inversus and heterotaxy syndrome with asplenia. His organs are mirrored and he was born with only two functioning heart chambers. From the moment he entered the world he has been fighting to stay in it.

At 3 days old Phil underwent his first surgery which was the Blalock Taussig shunt.

At 18 months he required a central shunt.

At 5 years old he had the Fontan procedure.

At 24 he had a Fontan revision.

In 2013 his pacemaker was removed due to a serious infection.

In 2015 he became critically unwell with strep pneumonia and was admitted to ICU.

This has never been a short journey. It has been a lifetime.

The Fontan circulation is not a permanent solution and over time it can lead to heart failure. After years of pushing through extreme exhaustion and ongoing complications while always putting his family first Phil was placed on the heart transplant list at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

Recently the call came that changed everything.

A donor heart had become available.

Only days before this call their family was already under added stress. One of their cars broke down unexpectedly and the repair costs created new financial pressure at an already overwhelming time. Soon after their washing machine also failed which added yet another necessary expense.

The transplant surgery was incredibly complex because of Phil’s unique anatomy and the heavy scar tissue from many previous surgeries. He is now in ICU fighting through the early and most fragile stage of recovery.

Phil is not out of the woods yet. As he wakes the doctors are monitoring how he is presenting. He has multiple clots in his neck and arms, he is needing insulin and he is on dialysis because his kidneys are not working at the moment. Being in ICU for so long has caused significant delirium. Drs were concerned about his heart function.

His blood pressure is still unstable at times and they are adjusting his medications constantly. They are watching him closely and taking things one step at a time.

Since the 9 hour surgery he has already had 3 MET calls because of episodes of SVT where his heart rate became dangerously high and needed urgent medical care. These first days after a transplant are unpredictable and extremely delicate. He remains in the ICU after his heart Transplant on 9.2.26 and every day he faces new challenges.

Our family is deeply grateful to the donor and their family for the selfless gift that has given Phil a second chance at life.

Phil and my sister live in Shepparton Victoria. They have four children and every one of them lives with autism and ADHD. Routine and structure are essential for their wellbeing and their dad being critically unwell in Melbourne has been frightening and destabilising.

Phil is their safe place.

My sister is also deeply involved in her community. She runs an animal rescue in Shepparton and spends her days helping animals in need. Giving to others has always been at the heart of their lives and asking for help is not something that comes easily.

Being close to Phil during this stage is essential. Heart transplant recovery requires constant monitoring and can continue for weeks or even longer with no certain timeline.

Accommodation food travel and daily living costs in Melbourne have already gone past $5,000 dollars and they continue to rise every week. At the same time the family is also dealing with the cost of car repairs and replacing important household items. The financial and emotional weight has become overwhelming.

We are asking for support to help cover the cost of living in Melbourne so my sister can stay close to Phil while he fights through this critical recovery stage and so their children can have as much stability as possible during an incredibly difficult time.

If you can donate or even share the page our family is truly grateful.

This journey began 42 years ago.

We are hoping and fighting for many more.