Heather's Transplant Journey

Update 3/23/2024:

Here we go, folks! You have watched how God has carried her through a dual organ transplant at the end of last year, and He is working wonders once again as Heather will be going to Vanderbilt at 7:30 AM tomorrow for a new kidney! While this is a different type of transplant, the nervousness is still the same. Heather and her family know that God is in control, and she is in the best place she can be for this opportunity, but tackling another major and life-changing procedure does bring some worries for the surgery itself and the recovery process.

It takes a lot of guts to trust the process, but when we lean into what the Lord is going to do with our story, goodness, won’t He do it?! Since Heather has been moving forward in faith, and been an absolute rockstar at keeping up with routine appointments and building strength post heart and liver transplant, she is showing wonderful progress. However, it continues to interfere with her ability to work and cover medical bills throughout this tumultuous time. Would you join me in helping cover even a small portion of these fees? Share a gift card for groceries or supplies? This assistance goes so much further than one realizes, and with such aid comes the provision of peace for Heather to continue to receive top notch care at this time.

If you cannot share monetarily, I know Heather and crew would greatly value your prayers as she begins this next step. Your fervent dedication in this way has been incredible, and I know they are beyond thankful for it.

May you and yours be blessed, and we will update as we can! ❤️

Update 9/30/2023:

Your fervent prayers have carried Heather through these last few weeks and have seen her to this day—organ donation day!! Heather was notified this morning that she has received an organ donor offer and that her surgery will take place at 11:00 PM at Vanderbilt Hospital. As one could imagine, she has a myriad of emotions running through her, but after FaceTiming with her just a short while ago, Heather shared she had recently awoken from a nap and this speaks volumes to your prayers of peace and rest for her. Please continue these prayers as she enters into surgery tonight, and keep your eyes peeled for an update soon!! Thank you all for your financial support as well, as this has helped Heather so much already, and will continue to do so. ❤️

Update 9/8/2023:

Heather received her third and final iron infusion today. However, during this visit, her blood pressure was noted to be lower than normal. At the infusion appointment, her transplant APN called and shared that with the levels she is showing, Heather can no longer delay her admission to the hospital (due to a planned admission this weekend for IV medication as a result of increased nausea and fatigue reported at a cardiology follow up appointment) and she will remain until a donor has been secured, and her transplant recovery is complete.

We recognize that God’s plans are not our own and this is not a surprise to Him, but it sure has thrown things for a loop in Heather’s financial expectations. If you cannot donate, please share Heather’s story…if it can increase her prayer team, I know my sweet friend will feel the power of this.

Initial Post:

"Because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

Sometimes people walk into your life and you're just never quite the same. This was the case for me when Heather and I became friends in the 9th grade after my recent move to Greenbrier Junior High. We immediately bonded and channeled our introvert natures through our love of music, sign language, inside jokes, quiet spirits, and our 'unique' stories.

I say unique because having a disability already renders one a bit different from the rest of their peers, but while I had a hearing disability that no one could quite understand, Heather knew what life in such a unique world looked like. There were things we related on that many of those around us could not grasp or fathom--nor would we wish that upon them. So while the bond that grew over the years is one that is so beautiful and strong, it's not without our awareness of the struggles we knew the other did, or would eventually, face.

And face them, she has. To give some background, Heather was born with five heart defects and has had three open-heart surgeries within her lifetime. At the time of these surgeries, Heather's parents, Steve and Tracy Rose, were informed that eventually (most likely in her 20’s), there would be no other interventional surgeries that could be performed. It would be at this point that Heather would need a heart transplant.

Fast forward to 2021, when Heather began experiencing issues with ascites (which is the fancy medical term for fluid in the abdomen) and was admitted to Arkansas Children’s Hospital for three weeks to have the fluid drained. During this time, she was advised it was now time to start looking at a heart transplant. Although the knowledge of a heart transplant had always been known given Heather's story, it was discovered that the type of open-heart surgeries Heather had had in the past for her defects unfortunately placed increased strain on her liver, causing cirrhosis. Because of this, it was advised that Heather would need a transplant for not only her heart, but her liver, as well.

Now at age 34, after more than a year of transplant-related appointments, procedures, specialists, medications, and meticulous checklists, Heather has recently relocated to Tennessee to undergo a dual heart and liver transplant at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. This move was required as guidelines for a dual transplant state that the patient must reside within an hour of the Center to ensure viability of the organs. After uprooting from her Central Arkansas home and declared an official resident of Tennessee, Heather was placed on the list on Friday, July 14th, and is presently waiting for the call saying they have organs available for her. Once she is able to have the transplant, Heather will still have to reside in Tennessee for the next year to abide by a rigorous schedule of therapies, appointments, and medical protocols in order to allow her body to receive and respond to the new organs appropriately.

Since Heather has relocated to Tennessee, her heart and liver failure have unfortunately continued to increase. As a result, Heather is unable to work at this time. Though her sweet smile still remains strong, and she is ever the optimist moving forward, Heather's current journey is one that does yield a financial toll. If you find it in your heart to share even a small amount, any money raised will help with the vast medical expenses related to Heather's transplant and offset the cost of some of her living expenses.