Margaret Keane

I was born with a congenital heart defect called tricuspid atresia and underwent three open-heart surgeries before the age of five. Those early surgeries gave me the chance to grow up and build a life, but my heart has continued to struggle. In July 2025, I was diagnosed with severe diastolic dysfunction, leading to heart failure. To survive, I now need a heart transplant. The last 7 months I have been meeting with specialists and having testing done to see if I am a candidate. Most recently I had vascular surgery to repair necessary arteries needed for the transplant procedure. Currently I am being evaluated by MedStar Washington’s transplant team to see if I am a good candidate for their program.

I am doing everything I can to navigate this journey responsibly—applying for every available assistance program and securing health insurance through the marketplace. Even so, the estimated cost of a heart transplant exceeds $3 million, not including the lifelong follow-up care and medications that will be required. Not to mention the testing current necessary to see if I am a Transplant candidate. Insurance will not cover all of these expenses, and many of my necessary prescriptions are already only partially covered. As my family and I move forward through this overwhelming chapter, we are deeply grateful for any support, kindness, or help you are able to give. Your generosity truly means hope and time—things that are priceless to us.

I have 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. Unlike Go Fund Me, Help Hope Live is a charity organization so funds will not be counted as personal income, which would cause me to lose assistance I have been able to receive.