Pam Norman

Fort McCoy , FL

Southeast Transplant Fund

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In honor of Pam Norman

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2 Radnor Corporate Center
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Radnor, PA 19087

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Pam has stage 4 cirrhosis and severe irreversible liver damage from the active Hepatitis C and is on the active liver transplant list at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL. As a result of her poor health, Pam has not been able to return to work since last fall. Due to the severity of her symptoms and medical complications, Pam has experienced bleeding in the esophagus and stomach, along with retention of fluid in the abdomen, caused by portal hypertension. Over the last year, Pam’s health has declined so much, that she needs a lifesaving liver transplant.

After the birth of her second child in 1983, Pam had a tubal ligation and during this procedure she had to have an emergency blood transfusion. Unfortunately at that time, hospitals did not screen donated blood and Pam contracted Hepatitis C. Pam did not find out that she had Hep C until giving blood in the 90’s when the screening of blood process was in place. Pam was completely shocked when she received a letter from the blood bank telling her that she had Hepatitis C.

Pam is the mother of two grown children, April and Chris and a proud grandmother to six! She raised her children on her own, and worked hard being a single mom and providing for her children. Pam sacrificed many things for her kids and always put her needs aside. As her daughter April says “She is my mother, father and best friend, always putting others first. Her heart and determination are something that I can only hope to have one day myself. I have watched my mom struggle, running a household while trying to balance raising two children on her own. My mom is strong willed and never gives up.”

Over the years she would be tested to see if it was still inactive but with personal circumstances occurring, no health insurance after a divorce and working just to make ends meet to pay bills, she again put her health screening on the back burner. Pam went on working long hours in the health care industry as a med tech/CNA in an assisted living facility which did not provide adequate health insurance for their employees.

Unfortunately some of the health issues over the last several years were all symptoms related to the Hep C being active. Going to the ER several times and telling them she was a Hep C carrier without insurance all they did was fix what was wrong and never went the extra step to see how active it truly was.

Last year, 2014, was an exceptional stressful year, as Pam’s step-dad Leon was in the hospital for 2 months and passed away in July, as she, her Mom and sister sat daily watching over him. During this time, the stress and tension built up and again she had some serious symptoms that were present from the active Hep C. Pam just did not think about the symptoms as so much else was going on. Pam’s Mom got sick shortly thereafter in August and was placed in the hospital. Realizing that her Mom was now not able to be alone, Pam and her sister worked out a plan that would allow Pam to take the Family Leave Act for 3 months enabling her to care and be with her Mom. Her mother, Peggy, over the course of 3 months had to be hospitalized 3 times. During each time is when Pam started looking up symptoms on the internet and started realizing that there were a lot of symptoms going on in her body that indicated she was in active chronic Hep C, including possible severe liver damage.

Transplants are lifesaving, but the costs to fund this procedure are monumental and Pam needs your help. Large co-pays and deductibles, health insurance premiums, travel, lodging and meal fees, and medical appointments are to name only a few. Pam will also be required to take costly post-transplant medications that she will need for the rest of her life.

The mental and emotional strain she is going through, as well as the financial burden has been great, since she has not been able to work. Her sister and brother- in- law have been supportive along the way helping her with the cost of medical insurance and bills has created strain and stress on all of them. The out of-pocket medical bills will continue to add up and are more than they can now handle on their own

Pam and her 82 year old mother still live together, taking care of and supporting each other during this very difficult time. As we all walk through this, we know in our heart God has to be the center of our focus and we have to place our faith and trust in him which is the only way she and her family can get through all of this. Pam and her family walk with faith and take each day as a gift, cherishing them and each other.

Thank you for your generosity, prayers and support during this difficult time for Pam.

Gratefully,
Pam’s loving family and friends

To help with this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in Pam’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Southeast Liver Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

July 14, 2017

After the Harvony medicine in the end of 2016 and it didn't cure my Hep -C, I started Epclusa and Ribospheer, just finished it a few weeks ago and so far I have no trace of Hep C. Which helps me feel better and able to do things simple things again, like walking and being able to handle the being outside. Of, course I still have stage four cirrhosis of the liver, and I'm on the transplant waiting list. Unfortunately, I can't get a live donor, I need the whole liver with the portal vein.

February 8, 2016

I am now finished with the Harvoni ( I the hep c cure Med) and I feel pretty good, I had no real bad side effects except for gaining a little extra weight. So far the labs show the hep c is gone, if it is still out of me by the end of March, it will be out for good! Not even a trace of it in me. Now just have to wait for me to get a little sicker then I'll get my liver!!!! That's what will be the greatest.

October 26, 2015

I am on my 5 week of Harvoni to cure Hep -C, I have 7 weeks left then I will be closer and ready to get my new liver. I'm not having any bad side effects to the Harvoni which is wonderful. Great medicine but still very costly!

September 4, 2015

After 2 appeals for the harvoni medicine. A third outside party and a wonderful nurse from my insurance company that helps people with severe illnesses get what they need, got the denial over turned and they are going to cover my medicine. This will cure my hep c but won't cure my cirrhosis of the liver. It will keep a new liver from being infected with hep c, when I get it. It has been s long road and still have a long ways to go, and will still lots of ex spence that I can't get covered from insurance, so I will still all the help I can get, and thank you for it. Since my tips procedure I have been feeling a little better every week that goes by, but the liver isn't getting the blood flow it needs, so there will be a day that it will stop working totally, that's when I will get a liver transplant. Thank you all for monies and prayers.

August 5, 2015

I would like to thank all the people that have made a donation, I appreciate it very much. This is a fight for my life! My insurance will not pay for harvoni which is the cure med for Hep C, so if and when I get my new liver it won't be compromised. Now, I have to come up with $12,000 to pay for it before I get a new one. So, again I would like to thank everyone that has, and all those who will be donating.

June 25, 2015

Pam was back in the hospital from June 21 to June 24, due to some severe swelling throughout her entire body. Her MELD score has gone much higher at 22, so she has moved up higher on the transplant list. They had to add some more medication and will be doing blood work once a week to watch everything closely.

Thank you for all your prayers.

June 19, 2015

Pam's TIPS procedure went will after unfortunately having over a 7 hour delay with some other procedures that took place before hers. The procedure took about 3 hours; she was finally in her room after recovery around 10PM last night. She came home late today, June 18 and is resting comfortably. Her heart rate, blood pressure and breathing have all remained stable, which was something that had to be monitored with the extra pressure the heart received now with the shunt in place.

She will go in for a scan in two week to be sure the shunt is working properly with the blood flow.

We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.

June 16, 2015

Pam will go in Wednesday morning, June 17 for the TIPS procedure. It will be about a 4 to 5 hour procedure including pre and post op, actual surgery will be 2 to 3 hours.

The doctor said value of the surgery outweigh the risks involved, since she has had 2 episodes of bleeding from the varcies. The doctor said once someone has one episode they will continue and each one could be worse each time. So having the TIPS surgery is a bridge to keep someone from having one of these episodes and better to have at an earlier stage than having it done as an emergency procedure, then you run a greater risk of the person not surviving one of these bleeding episodes due to blood loss. He said it is should keep the patient as stable as they can, while waiting for the transplant. The main risk factor is encephalopathy, which is an alteration of normal brain function that can lead to confusion. Too much toxins can build up and becomes a toxic substances in the bloodstream which would normally be are filtered out by the liver. If she does get Encephalopathy she will have to go back to the hospital to be placed certain medications to treat it. The other issue is the liver may get worse faster, but then she will go up on the transplant list as it worsens. The doctor felt it is very good she is having the procedure now instead of waiting.

She will stay overnight so they can monitor her.

Then they will do a scan in 2 weeks to be sure the stunt is in place doing what it is suppose to do.

Thank you for keeping Pam in your thoughts and prayers.

June 9, 2015

Pam is out of the hospital and resting at home. She had to have 2 units of blood and 1 unit of plasma. They should be doing the TIPS procedure soon to help prevent these bleeding episodes. She received good new today, the insurance company has approved her Hep C medicine, so we are thankful she will be able to start this before the transplant, which is what the transplant doctor preferred, so when she get the new liver it will not be compromised from the Hep C.

Thank you for keeping Pam in your thoughts and prayers.

Pam's and her Loving Family

June 6, 2015

Pam was admitted into Shands hospital in Gainesville, FL early this morning, Saturday June 6 for bleeding again in either her stomach,esophagus, or both from the Varices. Please keep Pam in your prayers that the doctors will be able to get this under control.

We thank everyone for your continued prayers and support during this most difficult time.

May 23, 2015

Thank you Prayer Warriors for always keeping my family in your prayers. Just an update on my sister, Pam.

She will be meeting with a radiologist soon to see about a TIPS procedure, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

The radiologist places a stent between the portal vein and the hepatic vein, so that blood flow can bypass the liver. TIPS is

usually done as a bridge for transplant patients that will reduces the pressure in the portal vein. This procedure reduces

the pressure in portal vein that is causing the complications of the varices and hopefully reduce ascites

(fluid buildup in the abdomen) she is having now.

With this procedure the liver will most likely worsen, because now the blood is bypassing the liver and she may be at risk for encephalopathy, which is an alteration of normal brain function that can lead to confusion, because toxic substances in the bloodstream are ordinarily filtered out by the liver.

Please if you can keep Pam in prayer and have God direct all the doctors.