Help support Bobby's Heart Transplant Journey

My brother Bobby has a heart of gold, but unfortunately he needs a new one! As I write this, Thursday, Sept 12th, he is in the OR, undergoing a 10 to 12 hour heart transplant.

It's been a difficult road getting to this day and he has a long road ahead of him.

He was diagnosed with CHF, congestive heart failure a year ago and went on meds to see how that would manage it. Unfortunately in April he wasn't feeling well and went to the hospital. The Dr's at Yale New Haven Hospital said his best and really only option left was a heart transplant. Shocking news, but Bobby was all in. He had an amazingly positive attitude about it all. His 3 kids are his life. He loves them more than anything in this world and wants to be here many more years for them.

The hospital said he passed all medical exams to go on UNOS list BUT wouldn't approve him because he can't live alone. He had the best insurance, 100% would be covered since worked for Yale, that was his best option, to stay in CT, but he couldnt't. He had to move up to Massachusetts to me and start the process all over, from the beginning. He had to find new insurance, he wasn't covered out of state, then find new Dr's and get appts to be tested once again. This delayed him getting on the list 3 months but he found amazing Dr's at TUFTS Medical Center in Boston. My amazing and generous friends opened up there larger home for Bobby to stay in June and July. He then moved into Tufts August 1st and the Dr's couldn't believe how he was functioning with how poor his heart was. They put him into the Cardiac ICU, put in a heart pump and many meds to get his heart stable. He finally was put on the UNOS list end of August and the best news came last night that there was a heart.

He has been out of work since April and will be for many more months as post surgery he will be living with me in Mass having to be close to Tufts. He misses all the folks at Yale University, he loves his job in security and can't wait to get back there. He will have a mountain of medical bills to climb up out of. Our Healthcare system is so broken. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Prayers to the Donor and their family. So unfortunate that tragedy has to strike one family in order to save another's. We are eternally grateful.

Update: Friday, Sept 13th.

Day 1 Post-Op Bobby is doing great! They removed his breathing tube and is awake and talking! TUFTS Medical Center is amazing! Very thankful for such a great team of Dr's, nurses and staff!

Update: Bobby got discharged Tues, Oct 1st, will be at my house for the next several months recovering, going to weekly Dr's appts. He's doing amazing! Can't say enough great things about TUFTS Medical Center. They are the best!