Randy Shepherd

As featured on MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann and in The New York Times

My name is Randy Shepherd, and many of you have heard parts of my story through various news outlets. I have a beautiful wife, Tiffany, and three great children: Krista 13, Kelsey 9 and Nathan, 3.

At age twelve I had rheumatic fever with a relapse at seventeen. The relapse necessitated open heart surgery to replace two valves. I was then able to lead a very normal and active life for the next eighteen or so years until I began to experience symptoms that were all too familiar.

The news from my doctor in January 2009 only confirmed the significance of my symptoms: my heart muscle was simply worn out and I would need a heart transplant. While stunned, my wife and I quickly turned our energy toward solving our situation. I received a pacemaker in February 2009, which has improved my condition and given me the necessary time to await the transplant.

Due to my medical history, I was never qualified for insurance as an adult, and therefore turned to Arizona’s Medicaid program AHCCCS (Access). These wonderful people helped me get the pacemaker and the medications needed to keep me functioning. Access also approved me for the heart transplant list in July 2009; but due to budget cuts in the state of Arizona, I was removed from the list on Oct 1, 2010.

In January 2011 I will qualify for health insurance through the Social Security Administration, which will cover eighty percent of my transplant costs. However, this will still leave me with many uninsured, transplant-related expenses that my family will have to meet out-of-pocket — a financial burden that we cannot manage alone. As a result, I must raise a large sum of money to be placed back on the transplant list.

To offset some of these expenses, a fundraising campaign in my honor has been established with HelpHOPELive. HelpHOPELive is a nonprofit that has been assisting the transplant community with fundraising for nearly 30 years. Donations are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.Faith in my Heavenly Father and the love of my beautiful wife have sustained me over the last two years. Twenty years from now, I hope to see this as just a bump in the road, a growing experience. Thanks to all of you who have visited my HelpHOPELive page and for all of the donations that I have received. I especially want to thank the many medical professionals who have helped me along the way, as well as the media outlets who brought exposure to my circumstances. May God bless all of you.

Randall Shepherd and Family