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The journeys have just begun, after 18 years in and out of heart procedures, we are now at 11 months past Ben’s heart transplant and are still in great need of your help. We’re asking family, loved ones and friends and new journey companions to join us in fundraising for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to help with the thousands of dollars of accruing expenses that are not covered with Ben’s Health Insurance, such as anti-rejection medications, immunological infection medicines, medical/pharmacy/specialty equipment & supplies, incredible travel expenses, therapy, co-pays for weekly lab draws & appointments for nerve damage, hip therapy and heart therapy. Although I now hold $1,400,000 in claims to date, all this is being worked out in insurance & hospital negotiations.
Ben Ziervogel, has been a strong and silent warrior through the years, grabbing or looking for opportunities to volunteer his services, love of music, children & people, endeared himself to hundreds of his music students, all ages, all nationalities from all around the world, as a music teacher in Florida.
Over 20 years working side by side with social workers, physiologists and chaplains in the prison ministry’s in the social/spiritual rehab. Ben is a quiet man of spirituality and faith, courageous in the face of this 18 year monster of pain & suffering in times when the strength is all but spent, to looking death right in the eyes !
Our family sends our sincere appreciation and love to all of you who consider this fundraiser. Donations to Help Hope Live can ease the financial burden & allow Ben & his family to focus on his ongoing recovery, prayerfully and God wiling, for years of continuing on in his journey’s ahead..Read on for more of Ben’s story.
It was 2001 & I was sitting on the sofa eating a piece of fruit, when I suddenly had a heart attack. I had to be air lifted to the hospital & had to undergo immediate surgery resulting in seven stents. However, this was just a temporary fix, as all my arteries were damaged, & I had to have follow up open heart surgery in 2003 & 2005.
A follow up from an angiogram after the procedure in 2005 showed the bypass had not been as successful as hoped. Fast forward to 2012, I went through more test procedures to see how much heart had been damaged, in order to determine if more surgery could be done. Thus, the surgery was done & was a success for seven years.
While going through this period of recovery post surgery, my wife and I lost our parents due to cancer & alzheimers. In 2016 while teaching in Florida, I collapsed & had to go to the hospital due to heart failure. I was pronounced dead on the surgical table while doctors were trying to open an artery. Thankfully, they took quick action and I was paddled back to life. The doctors sent me immediately to a Milwaukee hospital where I became flat lined for four minutes before CPR again revived me. I then was relocated back to Chicago to rejoin Dr. Bahlke & his heart time, who had performed my successful surgery in 2012. In this moment, I thought I would never leave Chicago alive. At the time my heart was failing fast, I was on a pump, was on many medications and was running out of time. Dr. Bahlke went to work & after running many tests, they were given the green light to search for a new heart for me. Within a day, they found a match & I had a successful transplant.
Please, if your hearts are moved, I ask you to make a donation in trying to raise funds to help pay for medical expenses. We are moved by your encouragement, love, sympathy & kindness & am so appreciative of your concern. I am confident of your help, your support & your prayers.
Family and friends of Benjamin Ziervogel are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with transplantation.
I Ben choose to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the GIVE button. And please share this page with your social media community so they may consider a donation.
Mail a Check
Make checks payable to:
Help Hope Live
Note in memo:
In honor of Benjamin T. Ziervogel
Mail to:
Help Hope Live
2 Radnor Corporate Center
Suite 100
100 Matsonford Road
Radnor, PA 19087
For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.
Thank you for your support!
Greetings, back at UC hospital and out Monday. More tests, lungs heart, brain. Follow up after transplant. no results yet. Back in in 2 weeks for some final tests for the year. Again i want to thank all of you dear friends and family for your caring concern, prayers, cards, posts etc. all along this harrowing journey, encouraging me on to the finish line. to the family, friends and loved ones, fellows by my side on this rugged trail, stay safe, be well. Make wise decisions in these perilous times. Ben
greetings friends and family.. In between hospital stays, out in early June, back in September, for extensive tests, mri, ct, echo,etc...Severe side affects of heart Chemo still a horrible daily nightmare..makes reading, writing, watching, listening a real challenge. Quality of life since the transplant ? 1-10 ? ONE... i've recently been challenged with Shingles on top of all the rest ! Incredible pain which i know very well ! Just call me JOB, many of you know the story of the Biblical man and his struggles, Faith and Courage, endurance, and reliance on God's strength
your prayers, it's my wind under my wings, to finish this journey to the end of this system, which seems very close now, or till death do us part.
I thank all of you once again for your donations on behalf of the fundraiser to help with ongoing medical expenses. And your thoughtful prayers, your kindness and considerations from your hearts.
may you and your loved ones navigate safely through these turbulent , violent times in which we live.. Love, kindness and peace, always...
BEN >>>><<<<<
Dear friends and loved ones, thank you for your continued kindness and encouragement, amidst this global threat, of death, of mental/emotional death, and impairment. I pray that my chronicled journey of my heart transplant and subsequent ongoing pain and suffering thru it all encourages you all, be courageous, when faced with fear of something you know little or nothing about, endure with a gleam in your eyes, steady on your feet, strong in the faith, prayerful meditations of the heart...…….Your brother Ben
Greetings friends, update on the hospital procedures, all my stays were postponed as they deal with the covid emergercy . I'm scheduled for Mri/Ct of brain and lungs, heart biopsy and echo...a couple day stay probably, yet now it's just to dangerous to be exposed to a hospital environment.. The new heart seems to be doing its job, yet after 14 months, the heart chemo/medicine is wiping me out. Daily endurance. My thank you, from my heart for your donations and your thoughtful consideration of the journey I travel. To family, loved ones and friends, my prayers ongoing, meditations of the Spirit and Heart.. Ben
Greetings from the journey...Update...I have passed a Year since my Heart Transplant. A GRUELING, Treacherous, Dangerous Trail, only a few can/will follow. Off the chart severe pain,( physical, emotional, mental and spiritual). I have recorded from the beginning on my page here, a week to week diary of the ongoing journey. For many of you, you've stayed the course with me, Unfortunately, or maybe that's not the right word I don't have the strength of Spirit and Heart to go back and reread. But I am so glad, it's all there for you to catch up to present, especially to all you new ones that have just joined us in this Harrowing Journey My Heart and Spirit are comforted and moved by all your kindness, companionship , encouragement and consideration of helping with donations for Our 'Loving Hearts, Saving Hearts ', with HelpHopeLive….Dear friends, Family, Loved Ones, welcome you new followers to you all, My thoughts and Prayers. Lets get back on the Trail/Journey.....
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God’s healing strength!
Deb Leasure
update....
Ben Ziervogel
Hope and Prayers For Recovery
Frederick Curtis
Ben, you're such a kind and inspired person. I really hope people are able to give generously to help you out so you can focus on being well and not stressing on finances. I hope each day gets better. Erin (your past student from Canada)
Erin Hancock
Hang in there Ben. We just have to get you through to the New World health plan. Meanwhile, I hope this little bit helps.
Love from Cathy Britvich
Cathy Britvich
Make checks payable to:
Help Hope Live
Note in memo:
In honor of Benjamin T Ziervogel
Mail to:
Help Hope Live
2 Radnor Corporate Center
Suite 100
100 Matsonford Road
Radnor, PA 19087
Donor preference is important to us. Please specify in writing if you wish for your name or donation amount to be kept private.
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