A MIRACLE FOR MELINDA

This is my niece, Melinda Johnson and she lives in the small town of Hitchcock, TX, this is in Galveston Co. Melinda is a single lady with a 19 year old daughter. Melinda has always been very upbeat, very high spirited and sooo much fun to be around. Basically, she has always been the family clown, keeping everybody in hilarious tears. But now, that has all changed.

Melinda is fighting for her life right now. You see, 3 years ago Melinda was diagnosed with "End-Stage Heart Failure." The Doctors explained it as the whole left side of her heart was nothing but mush, like a limp sponge, it doesn't pump or even move. This causes the right side of her heart to be completely overworked and overwhelmed, it cannot pump the blood through her body like it's supposed to. In a nutshell, her heart is only functioning approximately 15% on it's own. This also causes fluid build up around her heart and in her body.

After undergoing all the counseling and therapy appointments and treatments required, she was finally put on the heart transplant recipient list a year ago. But, 5 months ago Melinda had to be removed from the transplant list because the Doctors diagnosed her as having "Pulmonary Hypertension." This is when the blood pressure in the lungs are extremely high. You see, the right side of the heart is responsible for pumping the blood through the arteries in the lungs, and since the right side of Melinda's heart can no longer function properly, the pressure in her lungs are dangerously high. The Doctors explained that Melinda would not be able to survive a heart transplant surgery now with the pulmonary hypertension. They have not been able to get the pressure down, or find a solution yet.

Melinda has been in and out of the hospital and this condition keeps her really sick and very tired. Up until now, Melinda has tried to work her job at least a couple of days a week just so she can live from one day to the next. Melinda has never really asked for very much help, but the time has come for someone to step up and reach out on her behalf.

While at the Doctor on Monday, they explained that if they were not able to get the pressure under control soon, she would be looking at a double transplant (HEART/LUNGS).

Melinda has to take approx. 20 different prescriptions a day for blood pressure, heart condition, lung condition, multiple diuretics for all the swelling in her body, depression, anxiety and the list goes on. Melinda also has a pacemaker/defibrillator inside her body, she has a central line IV in her neck with a continuous stream of "Milrinone" that helps her heart to pump.

After being released from her most recent hospital stay, about 2 weeks ago, she was sent home with a wheelchair. She cannot strain or over exert her heart in any way at all.

Melinda applied for disability, but she was denied. She now has an attorney working with her on it and hopefully there will be a decision soon, but until then she is in a really bad struggle. She can't pay her bills, her living expenses, or even get by day to day.

Now, that's not all of Melinda's story. You see, Melinda has been fighting for her life since she was 13 years old. At 13, Melinda was diagnosed with " Osteosarcoma", a malignant tumor in her left leg. Melinda underwent chemotherapy for a year in 1998. The Doctors at the Shriners hospital in Houston did what was called, limb salvage surgery. They removed the large tumor and attempted to save her leg. But unfortunately she ended up with an infection in her blood and 8 weeks later, the leg had to be amputated. This was done with 2 seperate surgeries within 2 days. Melinda adapted to having a prosthetic leg very well and she ROCKED it like you would not believe. She went on trying to live a happy life regardless of her ups and downs, until now.

Some doctor's say they believe this could be a contributing factor to her condition now, and some doctor's say that Melinda could have been born with her condition and it laid dormant until recently.

Regardless of the miles that seperate us, our family has ALWAYS been EXTREMELY close! 

If it is possible for you, any amount of funding for Melinda would be graciously accepted. She could really use healing prayers, good vibe thoughts, prayer chains, any and all prayer requests, from church's, community functions and just from you.

If there is anyone out there that is able to give any kind of funding and help, our entire family would be extremely GRATEFUL. Any kind of funding would help Melinda with thing's like, her medications, rent, utility bills, gas to get to and from hospitals and doctor visits, living expenses, food for her pantry because she did not qualify for food assistance either (?),  and anything else life has to throw at her.

Melinda returns to the Doctor Tuesday 8/1/23 for another heart cath and I will update Tuesday evening with the Doctors latest results

Thank you so much

• Robin Stringfellow