Support for Doug Michell & Family
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Doug is in end stage heart failure due to Cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle. This condition makes it hard for the heart to deliver blood to the body, and can lead to heart failure. He has familial (genetic), dilated cardiomyopathy and a severe electrophysiology issue. Doug's disease has progressed to point where he now needs a heart transplant to survive.
Here is a link to the cardiomyopathy foundation website: http://www.cardiomyopathy.org/
This is in the UK, but there is no foundation in the US for the type of disease Doug has. Unfortunately, not enough people are aware of how prevalent this disease is.
Over the past month his condition worsened to where he now cannot leave the hospital without an assistive venticular heart pump as a bridge to keep him healthy enough for a heart transplant.
The procedure he had on Monday severely compromised his heart function to where his heart cannot beat hard enough to keep his blood pressure up and enough blood and oxygen flowing to his organs.
Unfortunately there has been many complications along the way. He is currently fighting an infection and has had multiple blood transfusions over the past few days. He had to have a surgery to repair his femoral artery as a result of a complication caused by his initial surgery. He has been sedated and on a ventilator for the past few days to keep the strain off his heart to help it heal.
He will be in the hospital for several more weeks as they work to make him more stable.
Doug has a 6 month old son and lost his father less than 2 years ago (who also suffered from cardiomyopathy).
Doug is in end stage heart failure due to Cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle. This condition makes it hard for the heart to deliver blood to the body, and can lead to heart failure. He has familial (genetic), dilated cardiomyopathy and a severe electrophysiology issue. Doug's disease has progressed to point where he now needs a heart transplant to survive.
Here is a link to the cardiomyopathy foundation website: http://www.cardiomyopathy.org/
This is in the UK, but there is no foundation in the US for the type of disease Doug has. Unfortunately, not enough people are aware of how prevalent this disease is.
Over the past month his condition worsened to where he now cannot leave the hospital without an assistive venticular heart pump as a bridge to keep him healthy enough for a heart transplant.
The procedure he had on Monday severely compromised his heart function to where his heart cannot beat hard enough to keep his blood pressure up and enough blood and oxygen flowing to his organs.
Unfortunately there has been many complications along the way. He is currently fighting an infection and has had multiple blood transfusions over the past few days. He had to have a surgery to repair his femoral artery as a result of a complication caused by his initial surgery. He has been sedated and on a ventilator for the past few days to keep the strain off his heart to help it heal.
He will be in the hospital for several more weeks as they work to make him more stable.
Doug has a 6 month old son and lost his father less than 2 years ago (who also suffered from cardiomyopathy).
Organizer and beneficiary
Elizabeth Michell DeRiggi
Organizer
Haddon Heights, NJ
Alexandra O'Neill
Beneficiary