Joe Plourde

LET’S GET JOE BACK TO EVERYDAY LIVING

On December 10, 2009, Joe was 48 years old. On this day he was diagnosed with Myocarditis (inflammation of the middle layer of the heart caused by a virus) after experiencing his first ventricular tachycardia (VT), racing of the heartbeat to life threating numbers. Since then, Joe has been put on heart medications and has an ICD (Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator). This has been helpful for the past 13 years. Due to multiple VTs and shocks to the heart, the heart has gotten much weaker. An unhealthy heart prevents blood from pumping blood and oxygen to organs in the body so it can function properly. The heart muscle becomes weak and cannot keep up with the body’s need to pump out blood. Also, fluids build up in other parts of the body causing heart failure. Joe is now 61. In order for Joe to sustain a better life, a heart transplant is now required.

Before this traumatic heart condition, Joe was physically fit and ate a healthy diet. This habit helped him to enjoy the things he loved; the outdoors, camping in different areas of the state, hiking for hours at a time, running and participating in an occasion road race, bike riding around Highland Lake or traveling out to Colorado, Florida, Utah and other states. His family and friends are a big part of this life. Joe enjoys having Sunday dinners or barbeques with them or getting together with his friends for lunch and drinks. All these things now have limitations or not done at all due to an unhealthy heart.

Joe is fundraising for heart surgery expenses, rehabilitation, physical therapy, anti-rejection medications, multiple trips to and from the hospital or other unforeseen complications. Some of these expenses go beyond insurance coverage and out of pocket costs. For example, immunosuppressive medications can cost anywhere between $12,000 to $25,000 a year.

Joe’s hope is that the heart transplant will improve his quality of life and give him a sense of stability. He would love to get back to doing some things that he enjoys. Something as simple as taking his dog for a walk or going to a baseball game without fear of something is going to happen.

Please donate to Help Hope Live in Joe’s honor today and ask friends and family to give too! We would love to plan some fundraising in Joe’s honor too, so if you are able to help, please contact Joe’s wife Sandy at [email protected]. Thank you for your generous support and God bless.

The family of Joseph Plourde are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with transplantation.

Joseph has chosen 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.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!