Help save Lisa Kennedy's life with Barostim!

Walter Stubbs is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Hi everyone! My name is Walter Stubbs, and I'm Lisa Kennedy's only child (besides her dog, Raylan!). Four years ago, my mom had a heart attack, resulting in her developing congestive heart failure. Today she is at End-Stage Congestive Heart Failure (Stage D, reduced EF), which means that the left ventricle of her heart can only pump 5-10% of her blood's volume per heartbeat (known as an Ejection Fraction). With an ejection fraction this low, her body will soon begin shutting down due to a lack of blood flow to major organs. Unfortunately, ejection fraction's in this range also significantly lower your quality of life. Most people at this stage of heart failure require a heart transplant, but realistically the chances of my mom receiving one are very slim due to the way our healthcare industry assigns priority to heart recipients.

This is where we need your help! There is a new life-extending FDA Approved device known as a Barostim, which allows your own body to regulate the heart and reduce the symptoms of heart failure. My mom was set to have surgery to receive this new device on May 17th, however her insurance company informed us that they would not fund the procedure just hours before the surgery was set to start, claiming that the surgery is experimental and not medically necessary. We have submitted an appeal to the insurance company, however the appeal can take over a month and is not guaranteed to be successful.

We are asking for donations to help pay for this surgery without insurance because every minute is critical! This surgery has the potential to extend her life and improve her quality of life. My mom is excited to become a grandma this September, and she hopes that this device will allow her to live long enough to meet her grandchild and keep up with them for many years to come.

You can read more about Barostim here: https://www.cvrx.com/why-barostim/

You can read more about Congestive Heart Failure here: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17069-heart-failure-understanding-heart-failure

How the Funds Will be Used:

All of the funds raised will be used to fund the Barostim surgery and cover any associated costs if the appeal to the insurance company is unsuccessful.
In the event that the insurance appeal is successful, the funds raised will be used to cover any out-of-pocket expenses related to the surgery (co-pays, etc) and any remaining funds will be managed by her son to cover future healthcare costs associated with her heart failure.

Please consider a donation to help my mom, Lisa Kennedy, live a longer and more fulfilling life! Any amount helps!