Help Scott Decker get a new heart!

Scott needs a heart transplant, and we need some help to do it.

Scott's heart has always been part of his story. Whether you've been in his classroom, in his church, or in his circle of friends, you know his heart is big! His work in the church often found him delivering meals for families in need, helping to arrange housing and meals for youth in unstable situations, and working with local organizations to make sure resources were getting where they needed to be.

But now Scott needs some help with his heart. That big heart keeps getting bigger, literally, and that's a problem. Born with a bicuspid aortic valve, he has already had two valve replacements, but they didn't prevent damage to his left ventricle that has continued to cause the heart wall to thicken and function inefficiently. He had a pacemaker/AICD implanted in his chest to help the rhythm when it got out of whack, and it's saved his life at least twice! Unfortunately, he also had an aneurysm form around the mechanical heart valve in his aorta, and it's almost at the size when it would need to be dealt with surgically.

A few weeks ago, his cardiologist looked at us and said there wasn't anything more that he could do with medicine alone to keep Scott from declining further. He referred us to the Duke Heart Transplant Clinic to be evaluated for a heart transplant.

One of the things they repeated over and over was that people who had a strong community around them tended to have better results overall, so we jumped back into social media to gather the troops! We so appreciated your prayers and kind words during Eval Week! Since Scott and I married during the COVID years, and it's been crazy for everyone since then, I'm hoping that this terrible circumstance can bring us a little closer and even create new friendships!

On 6 July, we got the call that Scott had been approved to have the heart transplant and will be listed initially at Stage 6!!!!! We will have an appointment with his cardiologist to see if that will remain the case or whether he needs some additional treatments that will move him up to a more urgent Stage 4.

When he started teaching, his former students will tell you that he listened to them, guided them when they asked for or needed it, and helped them to see the world through the eyes of an informed citizen who understands that history is cyclical. For Scott, it's possible that a heart transplant could allow him to do what he does best once again! Even if he isn't doing it from a classroom or a pulpit, Scott's at his best when he's helping others. Can you help him get there again?

We are so lucky to have insurance that covers the bulk of the medical costs. However, the copays and deductibles are still quite large and it's possible that with the round-the-clock care Scott will need post-transplant, we may need some help replacing income (sadly, we all know paid leave is not really a thing).

Recovery from transplant can mean several weeks to months in the hospital, and even if the hospital bills are covered, food, gas, pet care and all the incidentals can add up - even with the amazing support from our families.

Any help you can give – in-person, spiritually with prayer, and financially – is sincerely appreciated.

You can also donate via Venmo (@HLGaleDecker09) or CashApp ($HillaryGaleDecker) if you're uncomfortable with the GoFundMe platform :-)