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Fred Blom is a 70-year old husband, father, and grandfather. After years of struggling with heart disease, specifically cardiomyopathy, he had been diagnosed with end stage congestive heart failure and a heart transplant was his only hope for survival. Fred was on the heart transplant list since June of 2015. On November 4, 2021, he received the heart transplant at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. He is one of the nicest guys youʼd ever hope to meet and he needs our help. The cost of a transplant is overwhelming.

Fred grew up in Richfield, Minnesota and graduated from Richfield High School. He went on to Bemidji State University where he studied elementary education. After graduating, Fred was hired by Montevideo schools where he taught for 25 years. You may remember his wife, Jeri, who taught in the same school district where they met. After working for a church for 10 years and then a medical device component manufacturer for 7 years, Fred retired in July, 2018.

Updates (53)

November 30, 2023

November 4, 2023 was the two-year anniversary of heart transplant. On November 15 and 16, 2023, I had a two-year follow-up visit to the University of Minnesota Medical Center. All systems GO! No rejection, no donor antibodies, heart blood vessels are normal, heart output is normal. I feel better today than I have felt in at least twenty years.

How amazing it is to once again enjoy the little things in life. I have mowed the lawn, shoveled snow all last winter, raked leaves, enjoyed activities with family and friends, hiked, snowshoed and biked, to just name a few, these last two years. God is still does miracles! I am living a truly thankful life

I am especially grateful to my donor and his family for this gift of life. Five indiviuals received life-giving organs from him. If you are not an organ donor, I encourage you to consider becoming one. Thank you everyone, for your support. I am grateful beyond words

November 24, 2022

I cannot let this Thanksgiving Day pass without expressing my gratefulness to the heart donor and his family for the gift of life I was given on November 4, 2021. Thank You! To reinforce the importance of organ donation, my donor’s organs went to 5 different people and brought them new life as well. If you aren’t already, please consider becoming an organ donor; I am.

At this time last year, I was still in the hospital being fed through a tube and starting the physical/occupational therapy portion of my recovery. This past year I have been able to walk/hike, ride bike, play outdoor games with my grandchildren, yard work, and now, of course, shovel snow; all things I have not been able to do for a very long time. The most precious being the time spent with family and friends.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported and continues to support Jeri and me in this journey. I daily give thanks to God and pray for my donor’s family, that they may be comforted and know they can continually celebrate his life because of his generosity. We wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season.

Guestbook

January 29, 2024

I was a roommate of Fred’s in college. I am just now catching up on him. Hopefully all is going well Fred I have a coworker who went through a heart transplant and he’s doing great after seven years. I hope you are as well.

Douglas Munn

February 16, 2022

May God Bless you and your family. Praying for you as you continue to heal.
Hope Ludeman Paulson, RHS Class of '71

Hope Ludeman Paulson

February 13, 2022

Good luck Fred. We hope you can go home soon and everything was a success. Dean

Dean Ekegren