Del is a young 61 year old husband, father, future father-in-law, brother, and son. He lived an active life going to the gym regularly, hiking, skiing, and, his personal favorite, working in the yard. Now with his new heart failure diagnosis, life is going to change. He received an artificial heart pump called an LVAD. He will wear a controller and two batteries 24/7. Del is now the new Iron Man. With this heart pump, he will be able to have a mostly normal life after recovery. Ultimately, he will need a transplant down the road if he chooses. The LVAD will help him get strong in preparation for a possible transplant.
Del loves to be outdoors, being with family, playing games, cooking, and teaching the 8 year olds at church. The Mitchell’s have impacted so many children’s lives in their church community. They are very humble and loved by all.
Since Del’s diagnosis in early January 2025, he had a quadruple bypass, a temporary heart pump installed, and the LVAD implantation. He was in the hospital for all of January, February, and March. Learning to live with the LVAD will come with its own challenges, such as, daily dressing changes, making sure the equipment is operating properly, diet, and a new workout routine.
Del and his family are fundraising for the remaining costs after insurance which includes the extended hospital stay, all of his procedures, tests, medication, supplies, and a possible future transplant.
One of Del’s main goals is to walk his only daughter down the aisle this Summer. He is looking forward to getting back to work and church.
Please donate to Help Hope Live in Del’s honor, and please share with friends and family. Thank you to everyone who has helped and supported the Mitchell family so far. It has not gone unnoticed. We appreciate and love you all so much!
Help Hope Live is a nonprofit to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with the LVAD and Transplant. Del and his family have chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because donations are tax deductible for contributors and will only be used to cover medical and related expenses.
