Ronald Reid Heart Transplant Fund
Donation protected
Ronald Reid, my best friend, high school sweetheart, and husband is in need of a heart transplant at age 49. For the past 22 years, he has been living with a heart condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy. This was due to a virus, the common cold, attacking his heart muscle damaging it beyond repair. In 1997, at 27 years old, he had to stop working and became "Mr. Mom" to our two girls and our son that was on the way. In 2005, he had a defibrillator implanted and subsequently has had three separate occasions in which it shocked him to save his life.
In March of 2018, he was hospitalized for a week due to his heart weakening. His medication was increased and a few changes made. At the end of June, he returned and was admitted to CVICU. After a heart catheter procedure, my daughter Ashley and I were brought into the consultation room and given the news Ron was in need of a heart transplant. We were in total shock and it wasn’t until the next day the doctors broke the news to Ron. Devastation and disbelief are the only two words to describe what he was feeling.
Once they got his heart pressures under control, he was given the option of an internal heart pump, LVAD, left ventricular arterial device or go home with an IV pumping medication to his heart to stay alive. The upside to the LVAD was he would be moved to the transplant priority list and for one thirty day period he would be moved up a tier on the list.
With a lot of convincing, he decided to get the LVAD surgery. On July 10th, the device was implanted. He was put on temporary dialysis and received several blood transfusions and left the hospital 3 weeks after surgery. Ron has gone to weekly LVAD clinics and cardiac rehab appointments 3x’s a week. He has had a very hard time adjusting to living on batteries and having to plug in to an outlet at night. The dressing changes for the cord coming out of his stomach have gotten more tolerable as they went from once a day to every 3 days. His appointments are now spread out to only once a month with a quick weekly blood draw.
Ron is an amazing husband, father, and grandfather to our 3 children; Ashley (26), Alexis (24), Austin (21), and Brantley (6) who adores his papa. Ron has been a father figure to neighborhood kids, classroom parent, neighborhood watch, and a softball coach for the past 20 years. Everyone who meets Ron loves him and everywhere we go somebody knows him. We joke and call him the mayor of Summerville. He means so much to those who know him.
After explaining all of this, Ron and I were told before the LVAD surgery, we needed to start fundraising for his heart transplant. We have private health insurance, but our out of pocket costs along with the medications needed will be astronomical and I will have to take leave from work to be his caregiver. The great news is MUSC has moved him up one tier on the transplant list for the next 30 days!
My family and I will do whatever it takes to help Ron. If you can spare any amount, my family would be more grateful than I can possibly ever tell you. Please share his story and keep my wonderful husband in your thoughts and prayers.
In March of 2018, he was hospitalized for a week due to his heart weakening. His medication was increased and a few changes made. At the end of June, he returned and was admitted to CVICU. After a heart catheter procedure, my daughter Ashley and I were brought into the consultation room and given the news Ron was in need of a heart transplant. We were in total shock and it wasn’t until the next day the doctors broke the news to Ron. Devastation and disbelief are the only two words to describe what he was feeling.
Once they got his heart pressures under control, he was given the option of an internal heart pump, LVAD, left ventricular arterial device or go home with an IV pumping medication to his heart to stay alive. The upside to the LVAD was he would be moved to the transplant priority list and for one thirty day period he would be moved up a tier on the list.
With a lot of convincing, he decided to get the LVAD surgery. On July 10th, the device was implanted. He was put on temporary dialysis and received several blood transfusions and left the hospital 3 weeks after surgery. Ron has gone to weekly LVAD clinics and cardiac rehab appointments 3x’s a week. He has had a very hard time adjusting to living on batteries and having to plug in to an outlet at night. The dressing changes for the cord coming out of his stomach have gotten more tolerable as they went from once a day to every 3 days. His appointments are now spread out to only once a month with a quick weekly blood draw.
Ron is an amazing husband, father, and grandfather to our 3 children; Ashley (26), Alexis (24), Austin (21), and Brantley (6) who adores his papa. Ron has been a father figure to neighborhood kids, classroom parent, neighborhood watch, and a softball coach for the past 20 years. Everyone who meets Ron loves him and everywhere we go somebody knows him. We joke and call him the mayor of Summerville. He means so much to those who know him.
After explaining all of this, Ron and I were told before the LVAD surgery, we needed to start fundraising for his heart transplant. We have private health insurance, but our out of pocket costs along with the medications needed will be astronomical and I will have to take leave from work to be his caregiver. The great news is MUSC has moved him up one tier on the transplant list for the next 30 days!
My family and I will do whatever it takes to help Ron. If you can spare any amount, my family would be more grateful than I can possibly ever tell you. Please share his story and keep my wonderful husband in your thoughts and prayers.
Organizer
Ronald Reid
Organizer
Summerville, SC
