Benjamin Ziervogel

LOVING HEARTS, SAVING HEARTS….

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!