Support James in His Heart Recovery Journey

Hello everyone, my name is Jeff Labbe. I’m a close friend to James, Sheila and the Rodriquez family. I’m writing this to help this family in a time of need. James is currently recovering from heart transplant surgery and could use your support. Please read and share their story in an effort to help during this difficult time. This all happened over a 2-week span…

It was Friday the 13th of September (Can’t make this up) when James, Sheila, Jess and I were to go to a Seadogs game. James was feeling a bit under the weather and decided to stay home to rest but insisted that the three of us still go. When we picked up Sheila, she told us he was heading to urgent care for pain in his shoulder to “just be sure” it wasn’t anything else given his prior heart issues. It was this decision that probably saved his life.

Saturday the 14th James received a call from doctors “that he may have pneumonia, and his heart was working too hard.” He was admitted to the hospital and would require multiple tests to find out what the underlying issue is.

Sunday September 15th, they discover James needed to have his heart catheterized and discovered that his heart had drastically declined since July of this year. He was told he had total heart failure and his heart was not pumping enough blood. He was moved to ICU and was put on a machine to pump his blood for him. All the while James has been in good spirits and being his normal “James” self… If you know you know…

On Tuesday the 17th, things accelerated even more. They installed a pump to help his heart pump blood and sent him to Boston to get evaluated for a heart transplant. Four days have passed, and we’ve gone form shoulder pain, to possible pneumonia, to heart transplant…

On Wednesday, September 18th, a new pump was installed and he is up and about walking and in good spirits. The tests from the new pump have everything looking right for him now. James has been told he has been accepted to Tufts in Boston, and they’re waiting to get him a bed before sending him down. Later that evening they transported him to Tufts.

Thursday September 19th, moved into his private room in Tufts, and was told testing would be a couple of days and things were moving forward pending tests.

Fast forward to Monday September 23rd, after days of being in the hospital, tests and a lot of waiting for news and results, James was notified that he had been approved for a heart transplant and was being listed with high priority due to his current situation. Now the bittersweet waiting game begins.

Now at this point you might ask yourself, why bittersweet? Well, pause for a moment about what James is waiting for and how one gets it. Take a moment to appreciate the opportunity to be an organ donor, because although they take their last breath, their organ donation allows James to take many more.

Now Thursday September 26th, just as the family settles in for the waiting game to begin for James’ new heart, the news comes. They have a donor, and the heart is going to James. Surgery has been scheduled and James will be sedated and in ICU for a few days to make sure the new heart takes. Within thirteen short days, James went from shoulder pain to new heart…

Friday September 27, surgery was a success, and he remains in ICU until Monday. The most recent update is that everything is as good as it can be. He is going to be in Boston for AT LEAST four weeks and he will have to travel to Tufts 2x a month once he is released for 6 months.

This is going to be a stressful time for James and Sheila leading into the holiday season, James being out of work indefinitely, and Sheila staying in Boston to be with him. The money spent between medical bills for James and the added costs for lodging for at least the next month will be piling up. I would ask if you can share what you can with James and Sheila in this time of need. I know that they’d be there for me, which is why I pen this message on their behalf.

Thank you for reading this and appreciate anything you can do to help from sharing this link to anything monetary.