Dear Family and Friends,
I am writing to ask for your prayers and support for my husband, Tim Medendorp. Tim had aortic valve replacement surgery in December of 1998 to correct a congenital defect. A bi-ventricular Pacemaker/Defibrillator was installed in 2001 for arrhythmia. In 2009, he was hospitalized four times and referred to the University of Chicago Medical Center for what was thought to be an imminent transplant. Doctors there were able to delay the transplant with medication adjustments. After two hospital stays in 2011, his doctor said the words Tim had been hoping to avoid: “It’s time”. The doctors have determined that his only chance for survival is a heart transplant.
December was a blur of testing and consultations. During the testing it was discovered that his body has developed antibodies because of the valve surgery. This means that he has 90% fewer suitable donor hearts of those which might otherwise have been used.
On December 30, 2011, he was hospitalized with a blood infection that further weakened the heart. He was listed on January 20, 2012 and, due to the antibodies and this most recent blood infection, his status has been downgraded to the second highest level of those awaiting hearts.
In April of 2012, the head Cardiologist recommended having a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implanted to prolong Tim’s quality of live and sustain him, it what was probably going to be a long wait as his body makeup reduced the possible matches he would be eligible for. If we waited Tim might be too weak to undergo this procedure in the future. The LVAD was implanted in June of 2012.
Most of you know of Tim’s love of music. He is currently serving on the Worship and Audi Visual Team at Parker Road Bible Church. Although from the outside he doesn’t look sick, Tim is no longer able to sing with the praise team or his daughter as often as he would like.
While Tim is presently working full-time, he is restricted on tasks he can perform and manual labor is few and far between; once a heart is found, there will a period of time that he will have no income. So, we need your help! The cost of the transplant itself is staggering. The cost of survival is even more expensive. Even with insurance, there will be co-pays, deductibles, travel to and from the transplant center, and the costly anti-rejection medications Tim will have to take for the rest of his life.
To ease this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in Tim’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive (formerly NTAF), a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for nearly 30 years. All donations are tax deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the North-Central Heart Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. If you would like to make a contribution:Tim, Phillip, Meagan and I thank you for your generosity, support and prayers.
Sincerely,

Karen Medendorp
847-471-5410