Main fundraiser photo

Iron man Heart Transplant for Josh

Donation protected
IRON MAN STRONG A HEART FOR JOSH (Heart transplant)

Josh Coderre he is our son, brother, nephew, grandson, cousin, friend and coworker. He is an Iron man by definition.

Iron Man - The ability to continue doing something difficult for a long time; a tough and strong person.

Iron Man - An engineer who builds a powered exoskeleton after a life-threatening incident and becomes the technologically advanced superhero Iron Man.

As many people know, Josh’s heart problems started 6 years ago. We thought he had pneumonia. We soon found out he has cardiomyopathy. Josh’s dad died of a heart attack at 42 and through the miracle of science, Tufts is now doing genetic testing to see if it is something that runs in the family.

Once he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, Josh had a defibrillator implanted and was put on many medicines for this condition. A defibrillator automatically delivers a dose of electric current to keep the heart beating at a normal rhythm, which has happened a few times.

During this past year, at age 31, his heart has become worse and Josh was put on the heart transplant list at Tufts as a level 2. Recently, he has become sicker and has been in and out of the hospital multiple times. In addition to the defibrillator, Josh now has an IV continuously sending “heart juice”, as the doctor calls it, pumped into his system 24/7. He has been moved up to a level 1B on the Tufts heart transplant list.

Josh is now out of work and he has weekly doctor’s appointments alternating between Tufts in Boston and RI hospital. Doctors are not sure how long it could take for a heart donor. If his condition worsens while he waits for a donor, he will have to undergo open-heart surgery to have a heart pump (LVAD) implanted. This surgery is done at Tufts Medical and requires weeks of recovery in the hospital.

Josh is a quiet, kind, and good person. He likes movies, video games and spending time with his family. The nurses comment on how polite he is and what a great job was done raising him. Throughout this life-threatening ordeal, Josh has remained Iron Man strong during each new challenge . He does not complain. Well, only when he cannot eat due to some testing being done. LOL

We have set up this fund to help with financial support for Josh’s accruing expenses, medical bills, cost to travel to Tufts, medications now and after the heart transplant. The medical expenses for all the procedures and medicines for the future are uncertain. Not even the best insurance covers all the unforeseen costs associated with a heart transplant and the life changes that follow.

We are not a family who likes to ask for help, but this is way beyond us. We ask that you keep Josh in your thoughts and prayers, and any amount you could send would be greatly appreciated. Every amount counts! To help get the word out, please share this link to your Facebook Timeline!

No words can relay how much this means to us. Josh means the world to us. We love him beyond what words can express. Any one of his family would give him their heart if they could.


Donate

Donations 

  • Faith Smith
    • $100 
    • 4 yrs
Donate

Organizer and beneficiary

Lori Morin
Organizer
Coventry, RI
Cheryl Coderre
Beneficiary

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.