Help Kayla Get a Life-Saving Heart Transplant
Hello, my name is Erica. My 32 year old daughter, Kayla, is my oldest daughter and resides in Florida with her wife and 9-year-old daughter, my precious granddaughter. Last week, she had an appointment at the Heart Failure Clinic at Tampa General. We were informed that for her to live past the next 1-2 years, she will need a heart transplant. No medications or other procedures will help at this point. Here is a quick synopsis of her journey so far. She was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) in 2007 and had a defibrillator implanted in 2008 due to arrhythmias. The defibrillator was removed in 2021 due to infection and blood clots. Last year, she was life-flighted to the hospital for a blood clot in her left leg. Since then, her heart function has significantly decreased, causing shortness of breath, pallor, loss of appetite, weight loss, and increased fatigue. Her ejection fraction (how much blood pumps out of the left ventricle with each heartbeat) is 20-25%, which is extremely low. She cannot walk more than 20 feet without needing to take a break so she can catch her breath. She is unable to work full-time due to symptoms and unfortunately is not eligible for disability. She also had genetic testing done last week to find out if Kayla is a carrier and if this will affect her daughter.
She is currently in the pre-implant testing phase. She also had genetic testing done last week to find out if she is a carrier and if this will affect her daughter. Needless to say, this past week has changed her life, as well as her family’s.
These funds would be used towards medical expenses to include pre-implant testing, co-pays, surgery, prescriptions, and follow-up care. She is experiencing loss of wages due to the inability to work full-time and is not eligible for disability. On average, a heart transplant procedure costs over 1 million dollars. Funds would also be used for non-medical expenses, such as food for her family and rent so she can stay in her home. Alleviating financial strain will greatly help her mentally during this journey.
I will be posting updates on her journey and I personally thank you for taking the time to read and appreciate any donation. I want my daughter to live longer than me.
