Patrick McEntee

Since I received a life-saving heart transplant in 2017, I have been blessed to be able to reclaim so many aspects of my life. When you suffer from heart failure, it’s a slow decline. Little by little, you realize there are things you can no longer do. To an extent, you just accept it. Frankly, without the gift of my donor, I would have likely died before the end of the decade, if not that year. Because of the selfless gift from Bob and his family, I am still here. I am working again. I am doing so many things I thought I would never do again, such as walk across a room without stopping multiple times to catch my breath. Now, in addition to working again, I am volunteering to help others receive their gifts too.

If you find yourself in need of a transplant of any kind, please feel free to reach out to me. I would be delighted to help you face this challenge head on.

I began fundraising with HHL in 2015 and have been an unofficial ambassador ever since, but in 2020, I was asked to be an inaugural member of the Help Hope Live Ambassador program and I couldn’t be more pleased. I sing the praises of the work that HHL does. It has made a world of difference for me and my family, because there have been multiple unexpected bills throughout my transplant journey.

So, a little of what led me to transplant:

I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 1996. Nine years later, a series of heart related illnesses began with two strokes and a heart attack. Ultimately, my heart muscle continued to weaken from congestive heart failure to the point I was sent for a heart transplant evaluation.

I was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic at the conclusion of the evaluation in 2014 so doctors could try adjusting my medications. That was unsuccessful and within a week, I was listed to receive a heart transplant and my condition was so dire that a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) was implanted. This device gave me a much higher quality of life and bought some extra time needed to bridge me to a heart transplant.

My faith is very important to me and led me to a career path that included time as a youth minister, retreat leader, college and high school campus minister, high school religion teacher and a vocation minister. These areas of ministry have led me to live in four states, and also led me, in a very indirect way, to meet my wife Amy.

We met in 2001 at the University of Dayton and were co-workers, but several years after graduation, our friendship grew to love and we were married in 2010. Amy has been such a blessing and has definitely lived up to the “in sickness and in health” marriage vow. Because of my LVAD surgery, I had to leave my position with Glenmary Home Missioners to await a transplant.

We chose to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility to the full extent allowed allowed by law for donors. Donors can be sure that funds donated will be used only to pay or reimburse medically-related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Donate Now button.

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

Thank you and God Bless,
Pat McEntee
@journey4ce (twitter and instagram)