Being able to share my life story will help others to understand the life of living with heart disease is very important to me in so many ways.

I got congestive heart failure after giving birth to my daughter who is 16 years old. I’ve been dealing with this heart disease for 16 years to the point that my heart has declined over the years. I worked as much as I could to take care of us. There were days I was so ill that I couldn’t make it in to work. I would still go into work no matter how sick knowing I had to keep a roof over our heads. I was very blessed to have a job that was understanding and supportive. I eventually had to slow down working. That was the hardest thing for me to accept knowing that I’m all I got. Reaching out for help I had no one to ask outside of family. I had some family members that would help if they could, some made me feel like I had to beg. There were some relatives that just didn’t want to help at all. That hurt me emotionally more than you can imagine. I try to stay positive not only for me but for my daughter as well. I’m in need of a heart transplant and continuous help up until I get my heart transplant and after. I need help cover my heart transplant and rejection medications that can run for thousands of dollars a month. I will be on this rejection medication for life so my new heart doesn’t reject me.There are days I’m too sick to cook for my daughter, to the point that I had to order meals for us to eat, having a hard time completing chores and so fatigue that I couldn’t do my hair to the point I had to get someone to braid my hair because I couldn’t do my hair. There are days I’m so exhausted to the point I have to stop in between bathing or showering. Some days I’m so drained, fatigue and so exhausted to the point I can’t get out of bed. I have to push myself sometimes. Trying to provide for my daughter and I with meals and bills to make ends meet is a struggle each day.

I lost my home and had to move. When it came time for us to move at the spare of the moment and directing the movers. The last few things that were left in the apartment I wasn’t feeling well to focus enough to tell what I was keeping rushing to get things done and throwing things away to the point I threw away part of my things, my daughters pictures from when she was an infant and toddler up to elementary school. I feel like I have lost part of her life and I can’t get that back. I only have memories. Now she doesn’t have much to look back on but memories. I am so mad with myself that it happened. I had to slow down with working more than I realized and eventually had to stop working because of my health declining. Getting excited that I can go to work after my doctor released me to go back after getting my LVAD. I tried to go back to work but my heart wouldn’t let me. Some days are really hard for me still.

You’re expected to survive, take care of your self and the ones that depends on you to take care of them . How can you do that if you aren’t able to work? I’m struggling more than you can imagine . It’s a scary place to be and I worry each day. The system sucks, not fair to me and others that are in need of help and can’t get help because of how the system is. They’re putting people in poverty to the point that is causing them to lose their home and cars, bills being disconnected and cut off. For the ones that want to work even though they’re ill get screwed. For 16 years I’ve been pushing myself to work no matter how I was feeling knowing that I had to provide for my daughter and I. Trying to live life to the fullest with my daughter and I exploring different things, places that life has to offer and do things together. I want to work more than you know. I was so looking forward to going back after I was released to go back to work after I got my LVAD. I had a heart attack on Mother’s Day and a stroke in December in 2019. In January I got an LVAD 2020 after getting the LVAD. I almost lost my life to the point they had resuscitate me. I had to be put on a ventilator after getting my LVAD because I couldn’t breathe on my own. I had a difficult surgery. I had to go to rehab learn how to walk, write, speak to I had to take speech therapy and learn how to hold the trunk of my body to hold myself up so that I could sit up on my own. Trying to learn how to do everything all over again was so hard for me to accept. I know I had to get better so I can take care of my daughter so she wouldn’t have to take care of me. My daughter was my motivation to get well I’m very blessed to be here. I wouldn’t wish this heart disease on anyone

Every morning I wake up and open my eyes I thank God that I get to see another day and be with my daughter who needs me and I need her. My daughter is my everything love her to pieces. Needing help with paying for rejection medications and to care of my daughter and I is hard. People think just because I’m sick that I’m supposed to just sit at home and not live. It’s like they don’t expect me to continue to live my life. I’m going to live life to the fullest, cherish every moment with my daughter and make memories. So every chance I get when I have the strength and energy in my body I go out to listen to music, an occasional dinner with my daughter or take a small trip and try to catch a concert that I can afford with her. I’m not going to stop living just because I’m sick. I make sacrifices for us to live. All of this that we’re going through has affected not only me but my daughter mentally, emotionally and physically. I’m strong and a fighter. I GOT THIS!!!

Thank you again for your support!