Tim's Heart Transplant & LVAD fund

Hello, My Name is Suzanne. I am trying to raise funds for Tim Berry's medical expenses related to his unexpected Acute Congestive Heart Failure and the medical care he will need to survive.

Tim is a Husband, Son, Nephew, Grandson and Godson but most importantly, a fantastic father of two young children, 4 and 11.

In January 2022, Tim was in the hospital for Covid. During that stay, it was discovered that Tim was in Acute Congestive Heart Failure; the Doctors found his heart was only working at 25% (the normal range is 50%-75%). After a five-day hospital stay, Tim was finally discharged and has worked with his cardiologist very closely to prevent any other damage from occurring to his heart.

In April 2022, he was hospitalized again for four days due to his CHF and pneumonia; during that stay, the Cardiologist advised that his treatment plan was not working because it seemed his heart was resistant to the traditional treatment for CHF through medication. After they removed a liter of fluid from his right lung, they performed an Echocardiogram and Angiogram; all tests confirmed Tims's heart is fragile; as of April, his heart function has decreased an additional 15%-20% in just three months. Tim was told to stop working immediately to prevent further heart function decreases before the next treatment plan.

Tims's Cardiologist referred him to UC of San Diego Medical Center to provide him with the best opportunity for a positive outcome. Tim will now receive treatment from UCSD in San Diego and undergo extensive testing for eligibility for a Heart Transplant or LVAD (A left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a mechanical pump implanted in patients with heart failure). As both of these surgeries are very invasive, Tim will have to relocate to San Diego away from his kids and family for at least three months for recovery and close monitoring by UCSD.

With Tim's sudden lack of income, his family struggles to meet their current financial obligations, even with all the changes they have made to their lifestyle. Tim has applied for SSI (pending approval); however, once approved, they will not have the extra funds to support Tims's medical care during his stay in San Diego.

We hope to raise enough funds to help pay for lodging, medical treatments, and multiple home visits from nurses and therapists that will be needed for his three months of post-op care. In addition, Tim will need money for food and the ability for his wife to take unpaid leave to be with him during this difficult time where he will be apart from the rest of his support team and, most importantly, his children.

We appreciate any help we can get as there is a long road ahead for Tim's treatment and recovery beyond his time in San Diego.

Thank you