Heart of Gold

This fundraiser is organized and run by Keighans family. Please reach out to Crystal, Jocelyne or Kaitlyne if you have any questions.

We wanted to share a bit of background of what Keighan’s journey has been like over the last few years and what brought him to this point (written by his sister Jocelyne).

My brother is one of the strongest people I know. In 2019, at the age of 20, he had a cardiac arrest that would inevitably change the course of his life. A mere few hours after his cardiac arrest, undergoing CPR and being admitted in the hospital, my brother said “Well, I hope I’m out of here soon, my shift starts on Monday and I’ll need to be there for it”. His cardiac arrest occurred on a Saturday and he was thinking about going to work on Monday. He is the type of person to always show up, he’s there for anyone when they need him and he knows how to always crack the perfect jokes at the right times.

8 months after his first cardiac arrest, he had a stroke that affected the left side of his brain which altered the entire right side of his body. He spent months in rehab painstakingly re-learning how to do everything from holding a spoon, walking, talking, singing even - all over again. Over the last two years, he has been in and out of the hospital with reoccurring cardiac episodes (cardiac arrests and treatment from his implanted defibrillator). With each additional cardiac arrest, his heart has been getting weaker, and lately has been really struggling. As of January 2nd, 2024 he has officially been listed on the heart transplant list due to his failing heart. My brother is one of those people who will not ask for anything- even when he really needs it. One of the first times he was in the hospital we kept asking him what we could get for him and he would never complain or tell us he wanted anything additional. Finally, we asked enough times that he thought of something he would really appreciate. He could have asked for anything, but all he wanted was his pillow from home. He really does not want to inconvenience anyone by asking for anything he wants, or even needs.

He will be off work for an undetermined amount of time while he waits for the gift of a lifetime- a donor heart. While he undergoes this life-changing experience, It would be incredible to show him the support he needs so he can limit the stress in his life and recover. His family will be each taking extended amounts of time off of work to support him as he prepares and eventually, when a heart of gold is secured, undergoes one of the biggest surgeries of his life. Any donations will be put towards expenses incurred while he is off of work, to support family to be there with him while he recovers, and to limit the stress he undergoes financially. We all love Keighan for different reasons, and I know he has a village in his corner. Let’s stand with him while he conquers this next step of obstacles he faces, and cheer him on through the process.

Organ donation is one of the most beautiful gifts you could ever give. If you haven’t thought about it before, I urge you to take a moment and opt-in to organ and tissue donation and save a life ❤️