SageStrong - Helping the Pridemore Family

Hi my name is Heather Thornbury and I am raising funds for the Pridemore family during this difficult time.

How do I know the Pridemore Family?

I met Candice in 2012. My daughter was a patient at Shands Hospital in need of a heart transplant. At that time Candice was part of the organization, Broken Hearts and she would bring dinner for the heart families. We spent many evenings together and we became friends through our children’s medical journeys.

Fast forward and Candi and I are still close friends and have continued to be there for one another through the ups and downs of life. Candice and Bryan were also our daughters “wish granters” for Make-A-Wish.

The Pridemore family now needs our help and here’s why:

Sage (Candice and Bryan’s youngest son) was born with a Congenital Heart Defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome which basically means he was born with half of a heart.

Sage has had 3 open heart surgeries (at 1 week, 3 months, and 3 years old). Due to the high Fontan pressures from his third surgery Sage has developed a condition called Plastic Bronchitis (PB). PB causes bronchial casts. These casts are caused by the raised pressure from the fontan and causes leaks in the lymphatic system. It leaks into and onto the lungs. It needs to be treated as soon as possible. This condition needs to be treated quickly particularly since there’s a risk of lung damage and the fluid becoming infected as well as compromised breathing. Sage’s oxygen stats drop into the 50’s at times.

As time goes on, the casts will continue to get larger and larger. The only cure for Sage at this stage is transplant.

The Pridemore family needs our help to raise funds for the unexpected financial needs for Sage’s medical care. They will be traveling to the hospital daily. The essentials add up quickly. Things such as gas, food, hygiene products, and everything in between will add up. Hospital life is not fun but to make it feel as normal as possible - daily needs shouldn’t bring stress in addition to everything else they are going through.

Waiting for transplant and everything that comes along with it doesn’t stop there …

Transplant life is not easy. You are trading essentially a terminal illness or a chronic one. It requires constant monitoring and visits to the transplant/cardiac team weekly after transplant. These visits will continue for Sage’s lifetime and will eventually become spaced farther apart but that takes time. Gas, time off work, hospitalizations, and all that is required to keep Sage happy an healthy also requires great financial support as well.

For everything the Pridemore family has done, for not only my daughter and family but all the families they’ve helped and touched in anyway over the years - they deserve this support in return.

If we as a community can do anything - let’s help lift the financial burden and allow Candice and Bryan to focus on being a family rather than worry how they will make ends meet and provide the best they can for Sage and their entire family during this time.

I know they will be forever grateful and appreciate any support anyone is able to give.

Lets lift them up and continue to all be #SageStrong