Living with a New Heart!
Donation protected
This fundraiser began when my then fiancé (Sterling McBride) and I were living in Denver, CO and we were given the news in the summer of 2019 that I would need a Heart Transplant and that we would have to pick up and move immediately to NC. The story of that is below!
Since then I have successfully received a new heart as of February 20, 2020 and we were married a week before on Valentines Day! This transplant has been difficult and has its ups and downs which I have documented on My Blog .
We have been very lucky to have family and friends be so generous during this time donating what they can to help us. However, our finances won't be in a stable situation for quite awhile. My disability check is very low and Sterling's teaching contract is only 10 months, meaning he goes 2 months unpaid. I'm not sure when I'll be able to start working again but it definitely won't be any time soon especially with the Coronavirus. I know everyone is hurting during this time so we don't expect anything. We just want to keep this updated and alive just as another opportunity for us. Thank you all for everything everyone has done including sending us random gifts, and texts, and just the love and support we have shown. We love you all!
Original Story to the start of this Fundraiser:
Where to start? At the end of May 2019, right before the school year let out, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Heart Failure and was informed I will be needing a heart transplant. We had to immediately pick up and move from Denver, CO to Raleigh, NC so I could be treated at Duke University, the closest reputable hospital to our families in SC. This has been an extremely difficult adjustment, our lives have been changed forever.
With me now being disabled and Sterling working as a high school teacher our income is negative after we pay general bills, medical bills, food, gas, etc., not to mention the extensive dental work both of us have and are undergoing due to severe TMJ. On top of moving costs, medication and medical costs, transplant costs and our low income we are asking for any kind of help. We know most of our friends and colleagues are also in the education system and low on income so we get it. We thought we would make this just as another option to ease our burden ever so slightly.
This is all very new to me as I have been told I only have moderate dysplasia of the heart. The past 3 years though I have been deteriorating in hindsight. I went from being able to walk up multiple flights of stairs to taking less than a half a flight at a time. I went from playing disc golf in Conifer on a mountain to a short 9-hole course that's flat and still exhausts me. I went from Kayaking in Frisco (9k ft.) to barely being able to walk at that elevation. We loved Denver, we loved our jobs and we are heartbroken that we had leave...we made Denver our home.
When I was first diagnosed with ARVD in 2011, I created a blog to share my story and keep family and friends updated on my health. Overtime, I stopped updating the blog for various reasons, I was just living and loving life. However, I will be reintroducing my blog in order to keep friends and family up to date on my health. Kiele's Blog
Additionally, we had begun planning our wedding for next year's summer (2020) as well. It was going to take place at a gorgeous venue in Charleston, SC during sunset, however, we are cancelling this due to the unpredictability of my health. We both have large families and were hoping for a chance to get most everyone together but unfortunately there is too much unknown. We are still wishing to enjoy a honeymoon at some point even without the wedding but right now we are focusing on relocating and all that comes along with moving across the country.
We love you all and thank you for the continued love and support!
Since then I have successfully received a new heart as of February 20, 2020 and we were married a week before on Valentines Day! This transplant has been difficult and has its ups and downs which I have documented on My Blog .
We have been very lucky to have family and friends be so generous during this time donating what they can to help us. However, our finances won't be in a stable situation for quite awhile. My disability check is very low and Sterling's teaching contract is only 10 months, meaning he goes 2 months unpaid. I'm not sure when I'll be able to start working again but it definitely won't be any time soon especially with the Coronavirus. I know everyone is hurting during this time so we don't expect anything. We just want to keep this updated and alive just as another opportunity for us. Thank you all for everything everyone has done including sending us random gifts, and texts, and just the love and support we have shown. We love you all!
Original Story to the start of this Fundraiser:
Where to start? At the end of May 2019, right before the school year let out, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Heart Failure and was informed I will be needing a heart transplant. We had to immediately pick up and move from Denver, CO to Raleigh, NC so I could be treated at Duke University, the closest reputable hospital to our families in SC. This has been an extremely difficult adjustment, our lives have been changed forever.
With me now being disabled and Sterling working as a high school teacher our income is negative after we pay general bills, medical bills, food, gas, etc., not to mention the extensive dental work both of us have and are undergoing due to severe TMJ. On top of moving costs, medication and medical costs, transplant costs and our low income we are asking for any kind of help. We know most of our friends and colleagues are also in the education system and low on income so we get it. We thought we would make this just as another option to ease our burden ever so slightly.
This is all very new to me as I have been told I only have moderate dysplasia of the heart. The past 3 years though I have been deteriorating in hindsight. I went from being able to walk up multiple flights of stairs to taking less than a half a flight at a time. I went from playing disc golf in Conifer on a mountain to a short 9-hole course that's flat and still exhausts me. I went from Kayaking in Frisco (9k ft.) to barely being able to walk at that elevation. We loved Denver, we loved our jobs and we are heartbroken that we had leave...we made Denver our home.
When I was first diagnosed with ARVD in 2011, I created a blog to share my story and keep family and friends updated on my health. Overtime, I stopped updating the blog for various reasons, I was just living and loving life. However, I will be reintroducing my blog in order to keep friends and family up to date on my health. Kiele's Blog
Additionally, we had begun planning our wedding for next year's summer (2020) as well. It was going to take place at a gorgeous venue in Charleston, SC during sunset, however, we are cancelling this due to the unpredictability of my health. We both have large families and were hoping for a chance to get most everyone together but unfortunately there is too much unknown. We are still wishing to enjoy a honeymoon at some point even without the wedding but right now we are focusing on relocating and all that comes along with moving across the country.
We love you all and thank you for the continued love and support!
Fundraising team: Kiele & The Heartbreakers (5)
Kiele Binsted
Organizer
Raleigh, NC
Caitie Forde-Smith
Team member
Gretchen Binsted
Team member
Sterling McBride
Team member
Taliyah Mcbride
Team member