TIM DEHART'S HEART TRANSPLANT FUND
Donation protected
Tim DeHart has had a successful heart transplant and now faces monetray challenges
On september 18, 2017, after a lifelong struggle with his heart, Tim was given the gift of life.
He received a new heart at Barnes-Jewish hospital in St. Louis MO.
He is number 835. The 835th Heart transplant.
(Feel free to use this as your lottery number)
We, his family are asking on his behalf, for donations to help him get through his recovery. The Heart Transplant team strongly recommends fund raising. They do not want the patients or their families to be overwhelmed with the addition costs that come with this kind of surgery.
Tim a life-long resident of Riverside IL. , has had a bad heart since he was born on August 8, 1967.
He moved to Cabool MO to live with his brother Tyler in 2016 after going through major heart surgery in 2015 to replace a bad valve and to close the hole in his heart that was causing blood to back up into it and making his heart severly enlarged. Also causing chronic congestive heart failure.
That surgery in 2015 was really really three surgeries, including a thoracotomy. We all had great hopes for this "fix" as we knew, the only thing left to do might be a transplant. He recovered well in Stickney, Il with his sister Teri and her husband Chris.
He as well enough to travel to Seattle to be with is daughter Randi and her children Makalya and Brayden while Randi's husband was deployed by the Navy. He was well enough to move to Cabool MO to be with his brother Tyler in spring of 2016.
In January of 2017 hew was hospitalized with heart failure at Texas County hospital in MO. After several admissions and at home IV therapy, it became obvious that a heart transplant was the only other option.
Tim had an at home nurse, Amanda that checked on him weekly and then bi-weekly to draw blood and check vitals.
August 15, 2017 he was admitted to Barnes Jewish hospital where doctors noticed a severe decline in his health. He was sent home on Aug 23 and was officially on the transplant list. There was hope he could get by at home with his nurse and IV medications, but he was transferred by ambulance back to Barnes-Jewish, re-admitted and told he would not leave until he got a heart.
Sunday September 17, 2017 he was told there was a heart for him. Randi hopped on a plane from Seattle right away . On Monday, early morning he received the best gift anyone could ever hope for. He got a new heart! Randi and Tyler were there when he got out of surgery. This was a very long week. (Randi was there every minute and Tyler traveled 300 miles back and forth to be with Tim). Tim had bleeding during surgery so his chest was left open and he was put into a medically induced coma. On Tuesday he went back into surgery to close his chest. They started a slow weening off of sedation on Wednesday Sept 20th
He was awake by end of the day and passed the neuro tests. By Thurs he was in renal failure (not uncommon) he had a transfusion and never did have to have dialysis.(Yeah!)
By Saturday Sept 23 he was in the step-down ICU unit. Randi and Tyler along with Teri and Chris were there to see him get transferred. We cried tears of joy! By time Teri and Chris left on Monday the 25th he had all tubes removed.
Everything continued to go well. Some small set backs but nothing crazy. His first two heart biopsys were excellent and he was released from Barnes on October4, 2017 (10-4 good buddy)
Teri came back to St. Louis on Oct 2, 2017 and Randi went back to her family on Oct 3rd.
Teri and Tim are staying at a small apartment near the hospital. He has to be near by until Oct 17, when he can have Tyler pick him up, go back to Cabool and sleep in his own bed. Yeah!
So here we are
Tyler, Randi, Teri, Chris and Tracy have all together already spent about $3,000 to be with Tim.( We wouldn't have had it any other way) But looking into this next 12 months the costs are going to add up.
Tim has not been able to work for quite sometime and won't be able to even think about working for the next 8-12 months.
He will require bi monthly trips to Barnes-Jewish in St.Louis for biopsy's (300 miles from his home. )Each trip will probably cost about $250.00. After a while it will be only monthly biopsy's. And monthly Doctors appointments.
His medicaid insurance covers alot of stuff but many of these very expensive anti-rejection drugs will have very high co-pays.
He has already received various bills totaling about $6,000 and we have just gotten started.
We really need to get through this very crucial first year without him having a set back because he is so worried about money.
Any little amount is welcome and very much appreciated. Tim just needs a little help right now.
Our pictures on this this campaign won't be from his arduous months in the hospital.
We will never forget the hundreds of people who made this possible, and to honor them we will look forward not back
.
On september 18, 2017, after a lifelong struggle with his heart, Tim was given the gift of life.
He received a new heart at Barnes-Jewish hospital in St. Louis MO.
He is number 835. The 835th Heart transplant.
(Feel free to use this as your lottery number)
We, his family are asking on his behalf, for donations to help him get through his recovery. The Heart Transplant team strongly recommends fund raising. They do not want the patients or their families to be overwhelmed with the addition costs that come with this kind of surgery.
Tim a life-long resident of Riverside IL. , has had a bad heart since he was born on August 8, 1967.
He moved to Cabool MO to live with his brother Tyler in 2016 after going through major heart surgery in 2015 to replace a bad valve and to close the hole in his heart that was causing blood to back up into it and making his heart severly enlarged. Also causing chronic congestive heart failure.
That surgery in 2015 was really really three surgeries, including a thoracotomy. We all had great hopes for this "fix" as we knew, the only thing left to do might be a transplant. He recovered well in Stickney, Il with his sister Teri and her husband Chris.
He as well enough to travel to Seattle to be with is daughter Randi and her children Makalya and Brayden while Randi's husband was deployed by the Navy. He was well enough to move to Cabool MO to be with his brother Tyler in spring of 2016.
In January of 2017 hew was hospitalized with heart failure at Texas County hospital in MO. After several admissions and at home IV therapy, it became obvious that a heart transplant was the only other option.
Tim had an at home nurse, Amanda that checked on him weekly and then bi-weekly to draw blood and check vitals.
August 15, 2017 he was admitted to Barnes Jewish hospital where doctors noticed a severe decline in his health. He was sent home on Aug 23 and was officially on the transplant list. There was hope he could get by at home with his nurse and IV medications, but he was transferred by ambulance back to Barnes-Jewish, re-admitted and told he would not leave until he got a heart.
Sunday September 17, 2017 he was told there was a heart for him. Randi hopped on a plane from Seattle right away . On Monday, early morning he received the best gift anyone could ever hope for. He got a new heart! Randi and Tyler were there when he got out of surgery. This was a very long week. (Randi was there every minute and Tyler traveled 300 miles back and forth to be with Tim). Tim had bleeding during surgery so his chest was left open and he was put into a medically induced coma. On Tuesday he went back into surgery to close his chest. They started a slow weening off of sedation on Wednesday Sept 20th
He was awake by end of the day and passed the neuro tests. By Thurs he was in renal failure (not uncommon) he had a transfusion and never did have to have dialysis.(Yeah!)
By Saturday Sept 23 he was in the step-down ICU unit. Randi and Tyler along with Teri and Chris were there to see him get transferred. We cried tears of joy! By time Teri and Chris left on Monday the 25th he had all tubes removed.
Everything continued to go well. Some small set backs but nothing crazy. His first two heart biopsys were excellent and he was released from Barnes on October4, 2017 (10-4 good buddy)
Teri came back to St. Louis on Oct 2, 2017 and Randi went back to her family on Oct 3rd.
Teri and Tim are staying at a small apartment near the hospital. He has to be near by until Oct 17, when he can have Tyler pick him up, go back to Cabool and sleep in his own bed. Yeah!
So here we are
Tyler, Randi, Teri, Chris and Tracy have all together already spent about $3,000 to be with Tim.( We wouldn't have had it any other way) But looking into this next 12 months the costs are going to add up.
Tim has not been able to work for quite sometime and won't be able to even think about working for the next 8-12 months.
He will require bi monthly trips to Barnes-Jewish in St.Louis for biopsy's (300 miles from his home. )Each trip will probably cost about $250.00. After a while it will be only monthly biopsy's. And monthly Doctors appointments.
His medicaid insurance covers alot of stuff but many of these very expensive anti-rejection drugs will have very high co-pays.
He has already received various bills totaling about $6,000 and we have just gotten started.
We really need to get through this very crucial first year without him having a set back because he is so worried about money.
Any little amount is welcome and very much appreciated. Tim just needs a little help right now.
Our pictures on this this campaign won't be from his arduous months in the hospital.
We will never forget the hundreds of people who made this possible, and to honor them we will look forward not back
.
Organizer
Randi Saelinger
Organizer
Port Orchard, WA
