In January of 2022, my brother-in-law Chad had his first heart attack. He was living a very active lifestyle as a father to his two beautiful girls, Quinlynn and Braxtyn. Chad was able to keep up with his trusted companions (his pups) and work two jobs while mowing in the evenings and weekends. In Chad’s free time, he did what he has always loved to do: ride motorcycles and work out at the gym.

Unfortunately, he would have three more heart attacks that same month, resulting in the placement of a defibrillator and pacemaker. He was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. For him to be alive today is a miracle in itself.

At no fault of his own, he lost his job as the company could no longer employ him for liability reasons. The neuropathy in his legs further restricted him from continuing to mow in the evenings and on weekends.

Eventually, he qualified for long-term disability and Medicaid. Although it was a drastic change, he was able to cover most bills, appointments, and prescriptions. Fast forward to April 2024, he was approved for Social Security Disability. This was a significant decrease in income. Once approved for Social Security Disability, he was also put on Medicare.

Medicare charges a fee of $185.00/month and does NOT cover prescriptions. Currently, he is paying for 10 of them out of pocket.

Chad is currently on the transplant list for a new heart. He is at level 6 and hopefully, once he completes a few procedures, he will be moved up on the list.

He will be required to enter the hospital full-time until a heart is available. Once he gets a heart, there will be several costs for aftercare. I am hoping that by reaching out for help, we can ease some of the financial burden he is facing so he can focus on the transplant and spending quality time with his girls.

Thank you for reading and please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Lindsay and David