Jeffery Gaogao

Jeffery Gaogao is 53 years old and was diagnosed with chronic heart failure in July 2020. He was living in Hawaii and had to uproot his family to Utah, in the beginning of COVID, leaving families, friends, employment and the comfort and familiarity of home. He had a pacemaker inserted in August 2020 and an open heart surgery in December 2020 to place an LVAD (left ventricular assisted device) to help his heart pump and keep him alive while waiting for a new heart. He has been listed for a heart transplant at the University of Utah hospital in Salt Lake City for almost 5 years. He is in status 4, meaning he’s kept alive with medication and medical devices and living outside of the hospital. He has decided to try a different approach with hope of getting to the top of the list faster or a better chance at getting a heart soon. He has been accepted at UCSD (San Diego Health) as a new transplant patient. What this means for him and his wife, is having to relocate to be closer to the transplant center. It’s like starting all over again.

He has been a good sport about his diagnosis and always try to find a bright side to it all. He has always been a hard worker and active person. But since his diagnosis, he’s had to change his life tremendously, learning to deal and care for all the medical equipment he has to carry around and live with. He was a passionate and great volleyball coach. He loved sharing his knowledge and teachings about the sport to so many young talented athletes. And he was always proud when his skills helped the athletes gain athletic scholarships to colleges and universities. He had to give up training and coaching to focus more on his health. In his spare time, he loves to play golf, spend time with families and friends, and especially his wife, children and grandchildren.

Jeffery has hopes and dreams as well as faith to getting a new heart so he can enjoy living life longer and healthier so he may enjoy seeing his youngest daughter finish college, get married and have children of her own as well as to spend more time with his wife, children and watching the grandbabies grow. And, of course, play some golf and hang out with his friends.

Family and friends of Jeffery Gaogao are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with a Transplant. Jeffery has 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.

Your generosity will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your support, love and especially the never ending prayers. God bless and we love you all!❤️