Hope for a new heart: Kara's heart transplant journey

Help Kara Get a New Heart - Waiting at UCLA!

Our beloved Kara is bravely fighting for her life while waiting for a heart transplant at UCLA. She's been approved for this life-saving procedure and is currently listed as status 3, seriously ill, #22 on the donor waiting list. The doctors have explained that due to her blood type, the wait will likely be at least 3-6 months in the hospital being monitored, however, the call could come at any moment too, and we need your help to ensure she receives the best possible care.

Kara has been battling a congenital heart defect called Transposition of the Great Arteries, since birth, with multiple surgeries throughout her life, and now she faces the daunting reality of end-stage heart failure. Her only hope is for a major heart transplant surgery and a long recovery. She is currently hospitalized at UCLA since January 13, 2025, surrounded by the incredible medical team, but the financial burden is overwhelming.

As her family, we are doing everything we can to support Kara, her husband Chris and two children who are 9 and 11 years old, during this challenging time.

However, the costs associated with a heart transplant are astronomical:

* Hospitalization and surgery:

3-6 months hospitalized, waiting for a donor heart requires travel and housing expenses for her Husband and children to visit and spend time together as a family in the hospital (134 miles each way from San Diego to Los Angeles).

The transplant procedure itself, extended hospital stays, and intensive post-operative care.

* Lifelong medications: Expensive anti-rejection drugs are essential for her survival.

*Housing: she will be required to secure housing close to UCLA for 3 months after being discharged from the hospital for close monitoring on top of maintaining their primary housing expenses.

* Travel and accommodation: Frequent weekly trips to UCLA for follow-up appointments, and potential extended stays for family members to be by her side.

* Rehabilitation: Essential cardiac rehabilitation to regain strength and improve her quality of life.

* Lost income: While Kara focuses on recovery, she will be unable to work while waiting for a heart transplant in the hospital, and for atleast 1 year post transplant, adding significant financial stress.

We are reaching out to our community, friends, and family for support. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a tangible difference in Kara's journey to a healthy future. Your generosity will help alleviate the financial strain and allow her and her family to focus on healing.

Please share this campaign with your network. Your support, prayers, and kind words mean the world to us during this difficult time. We want to give Kara the best chance at a long and healthy life.