Kenneth Lawson

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

Ken was born in 1961 with a heart defect known as Transposition of the Great Arteries. At that time there was no treatment for his illness. All they could do was go in and open up the hole in his heart. He was sent home to die. However, he lived long enough for an operation to be invented. The procedure developed in Canada is known as the Mustard Procedure and had never been done in the US until then. He was the first person to have the operation in the United States.  Sixty years later, Ken’s heart has begun to decline in its ability to function correctly. After having pacemakers implanted for decades and being on a variety of medications to help his heart maintain its function, they are no longer working as effectively as they used to.  

These days, Ken suffers from acute and persistent fatigue, along with extreme shortness of breath, tightness, and extreme discomfort in his chest regularly. These symptoms of heart failure have led to a marked decrease in his quality of life and his ability to function in normal daily activities. Earlier in 2024, he underwent two catheterizations of his heart, which found his heart function to be significantly reduced.  The prognosis for a favorable outcome isn’t good, given the rapid decline in heart function. To help keep his heart functioning as long as possible, Ken is going to have an ICD implanted along with his pacemaker. If necessary, the ICD will monitor for extremely fast rhythms and shock his heart back into rhythm. However, this is only a temporary stopgap to help his heart keep going.  

The final treatment is a heart transplant. Ken recently underwent the evaluation process to be added to the transplant list.  The transplant center and his doctors are four hours away from home. After making several trips back and forth, it became clear that Ken and his family could not continue to bear the extra expenses of gas, hotel, and other items related to traveling that distance and staying several days at a time, along with expenses that they’re not aware of yet. These expenses place a significant financial burden on Ken, Nancy, his wife of forty years, and his children and five grandchildren, two of whom were born in the past year.   

Unable to work, only assisting when he can in their small family business, Ken and his family appreciate any assistance you can offer as he goes through this process, and the expected transplant is appreciated. Many trips to the transplant center are planned and are essential for his care.   

Thank you for your consideration and your help.   

The Ken Lawson Family