Help HOPE Live for Tiffany Burton
My name is Tiffany Burton, at a young age I was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Over the years my condition progressed and at just 28 years old, I received a heart transplant at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in August of 2017. I was unfortunately rehospitalized in June of 2020 with a serious case of rejection and infection. After another 6 weeks of treatments, I was finally well enough to be discharged.
Due to my illness, I was forced to stop working and it was very difficult mentally to leave my career and all my coworkers who had become friends. I am now on disability, It has been hard for me to adjust to this way of life, but the support of my friends and family have buoyed me through this stressful time and has been a tremendous help. I have come to the realization that post transplant life has been much more financially difficult than anticipated. Even with insurance, I have many out-of-pocket costs, like co-pays, deductibles, and the many medications I must take for the rest of my life. Currently I am participating in both online therapy sessions, and in person sessions at Special Equestrians. I volunteer my time there as well, in addition to my paid therapy classes. Just for my medications and deductibles my out of pocket medical costs are about $4600. This doesn’t include any of my therapy sessions or travel expenses to my appointments. It’s alot of extra coming out-of the small stiped disability pays especially when I am in the process of paying off past debts, including medical. If I could reach my goal of $5000 every year, I would be extremely thankful to have those needs met so I can focus on myself, family, and healing. I don’t want to spend the extra time I’ve gained worried about looming medical costs, and past debts. I’m ready to live my best post transplant life.
Updates (7)
February 9, 2017
So everyone is aware, I was very sick the end of last week into the beginning of this week which resulted in my transplant team at Penn requesting for Tom and I to come up and check into the ER. I stayed for 2 days approximately, and they were able to rule out some of the major illnesses I may have had and treated me with fluids since I had become very dehydrated. I was feeling better Sunday morning so I got to come home for the day before we headed back up for my prescheduled appointments on Monday and Tuesday. Both appointments went well and my team feels that I am ready to be unpaused, pending test results scheduled for the 20th. I am very excited as I've been paused for about 3 months now and feel like I am ready to move forward again and receive my new heart should one become available. These past few months have been hard, but necessary, to ensure that my body would be ready when the right heart comes along. I had to deal with a medication issue and then I broke my leg the end of November. The orthopedic doctors have cleared me to walk in my boot now, and I am finally feeling a little better from whatever virus I had caught. So, I am very happy that my team feels me and my body are ready to move forward again. This has been a week of good news for Tom and I and we hope things continue to turn around for us. Thank you for everyone's support and I apologize for my silence lately, we were focusing on getting me well again. :)
January 30, 2017
So all of my appointments at Penn have been sorted out and my transplant team has worked with the neurology department to allow me to be seen with the images I already have and go from there. So in that regard things are looking up and we are working on several benefit options. The horse show is confirmed and happening February 26th, it is free for spectators and there will be a bake sale as well as a silent auction also. I will be there so long as I am able and not hospitalized and we will have a booth to sign up for organ donation as well as other information. We are also working on scheduling a pair t night and as soon as that is confirmed I will let everyone know. I am currently battling some sort of infection and will be seeing my team next week to discuss my options. Thank you again for the support.
Guestbook
January 31, 2017
Donated in the memory of Dan S. Burton, on behalf of the Georgetown Office of Division of Unemployment Insurance. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Susan Thompson and all of the family at this time. We hope that this small donation will be a little light in a dark time.
Love, the Ladies at UI.
January 14, 2017
Thank you Chris! That means a lot to me, were you able to return to dealing? My Center won't give me a straight answer which I'm assuming means no.
Tiffany Consolazio
January 11, 2017
Casino dealer who had a double lung transplant in 2007 here. There's light on the other side of the tunnel. Stay strong.
Chris Davis-Falco
