LVAD surgery & recovery

Who this will help

This is our Dad, Jim. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2017. Medication is no longer managing his condition. He is undergoing open heart surgery to implant an LVAD (left ventricular assist device) on his heart. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/ventricular-assist-device/about/pac-20384529

Why I'm fundraising

Successful LVAD implantation will drastically improve our Dad's quality of life and prolong his life expectancy. We are so thankful he qualifies for this procedure. However, the surgery is complicated, and the recovery period is long. Our Mom will be with him through his surgery and rehab/recovery. This requires a 3-month stay in Jacksonville so they can be near his surgeons/nurses/rehab team while he recovers. Once surgery is complete, he will spend 1-4 days in the ICU, then 2-3 weeks in the cardiac unit before he is released to begin healing and rehab.

The impact of your support

This is going to be a huge financial burden for our Mom. The most immediate expenses are three months of housing accommodations near the Mayo Clinic during Dad's rehab period, which will include follow-up appointments, LVAD monitoring, and physical therapy. On top of lodging expenses, Mom and Dad will also have food and gas expenses.

Once they are able to move back to Ocala, the medical bills will start rolling in. As you can imagine, this is type of life-saving surgery is incredibly expensive. Not only will Mom and Dad have bills associated with Dad's surgery and hospital stay, they will also have the recurring expenses of maintaining his LVAD, including wound care items, bandages, cleaning supplies, and adaptive clothing to accommodate the LVAD tubes and batteries.

Our parents did not have an easy time deciding whether to proceed with this surgery. They also did not have an easy time deciding to make this request for financial assistance. But tough times require tough decisions. We are all incredibly grateful for any assistance you feel moved to provide to help them alleviate one of the biggest stressors associated with a life-altering medical diagnosis and treatment plan. We want them to be able to focus primarily on our Dad's healing. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Julie and Jayne