Suzette is a fighter. She was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure in 2005.

My aunt has worked her whole life since she was 19, providing for her son. She has had her younger brother and sister die from the disease, one in 2017 and one in 2018, she didn’t tell the family until 2014 during an open meeting at church. Everyone was surprised to find out, knowing she was such a healthy person. We thought she is very private and it took a lot to even have her open up and ask that we take her to her appointments to the doctor. Her condition worsened in 2017. She was regularly at the doctor. They tried stints, medicines, and various procedures until the doctor finally told her in December 2018 that if she wants to live, she will need a heart transplant. She didn’t want to have the procedure done as she was terrified of what people would think because she needed to raise $3000 prior to surgery. Suzette has always been a very independent hardworking person and never asked anyone for anything and didn’t want anyone seeing her at a weak point. It wasn’t until January 25, 2019, that when her next-to-oldest sister was found unresponsive and rushed to Duke Hospital where she later died, that she decided she wanted the heart transplant.

Suzette had been in the hospital for two weeks and didn’t tell anyone she was answering her phone and talking and never said she was in the hospital due to her having excessive fluid in her body and around her heart due to her heart failure. Due to her being severely sick she was not able to attend her sister’s funeral and that was around the time when she stated she wanted to live and made the decision to have the heart transplant. After lots of praying and long nights at the hospital with the family rotating shifts and days she had her transplant on March 26, 2019. After 2 delays she was able to actually go to surgery. She was in surgery from 3:45pm until 10:57pm and by the grace of God she came out okay, no complications. She continued in recovery, now going to the doctor biweekly. She was hospitalized once for two weeks because of fluid around her heart, but since then she has been doing well and continues in recovery staying at her mother house awaiting the day she can return to her own personal home, which she has been buying herself with hard work and dedication.