Stephanie Needs Your Help

Stephanie Wallace Macomber suffers from a congenital heart condition called Tetraology of Fallot.  This news is no surprise, as Stephanie has undergone three major surgeries in her lifetime. The first was at just a few months old, followed by two open heart surgeries at ages 2 and 21. After the addition of a second valve in her last surgery, Stephanie hoped she would not have to undergo a full open heart process again. 

Recent health concerns led Stephanie to consult with an expert in Jacksonville’s Mayo Clinic. New procedures meant patients with an improperly functioning valve in the heart could undergo a minimally invasive procedure...except, Stephanie has a secondary valve complicating that process. What saved her 20 years ago now means she must once again undergo the painful process of another open heart surgery. 

After extensive consultation with the in-state Mayo Clinic and an expert from their Minnesota location, it was determined unanimously by the medical teams that not only should she undergo the surgery, but that her best chance of survival from any unforeseen challenges would be to have the surgery done by Mayo’s most experienced congenital Heart Surgeon at his home base and with his own team in Minnesota. 

This means that in addition to the concerns of surgery and its costs, Stephanie will need to also travel out of state. This will prove difficult to the woman who is a beloved daughter, loving wife, and mother to three small dogs. Travel would require airfare and a stay in a hotel long enough to recover, in addition to her insurance’s out of pocket medical bills. 

Any assistance a friend, family member, or coworker could provide would give Stephanie the gift of time: time to recover, time to heal, and time to return to her life stronger than before.