Renee Houghton

Our Mommy Needs Your Help – Please join us in giving the gift of life.

In October 2016, our Mommy, Renee Houghton was suddenly stricken with Myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. One day she was our active, fun-loving Mommy, and the next she was in the emergency room unresponsive. We would ultimately be asked to say good-bye to her in the ICU not knowing when and if we would see our Mommy again. She spent the next 35 days in the hospital 21 of them in the CVICU. She is strong and never gave up overcoming so many obstacles in her fight for life. These were the scariest days for me and my sister Peaches, missing Mommy so much and praying for her to come home. This was an incredibly overwhelming experience for 2 little girls just 10 and 7 years old at the time.

Mommy did come home but had a long and difficult road to recovery. Myocarditis affected our Mommy’s heart muscle severely reducing her heart’s ability to pump enough blood to her body. She is currently in end stage heart failure with each day being a struggle to do the simplest things like care for herself, use the stairs in our home or even sometimes getting out of bed to face a new day.

Our mom has fought a courageous battle always believing she could overcome the impacts of Myocarditis, but her case was too severe. No longer physically able to work, our Mommy had to give up her career and income. After multiple hospitalizations, the doctors delivered the news we did not expect hear. Her heart was progressively worsening and had reached a critical point. This past August, the doctors placed her on a 24/7 IV medication that provides her heart a little extra help to pump. We call this her rocket fuel and her PICC line “Pixsie.” However, this was only a temporary source of help as she requires a heart transplant in order have a chance to see us, her little girls grow up.

After an extensive medical evaluation to determine transplant qualification, we received another blessing learning Mommy would be listed for a new heart – a heart she so desperately needs. Our prayers were answered, but the journey continues. We are now waiting for the call that a donor heart is available for our Mommy to receive. This wait could last several months.

With this great news, comes new financial challenges for our family. A heart transplant will literally be a lifesaver for our Mom, but the high cost associated with transplant surgery and recovery may put this lifesaving treatment out of reach. While we are very blessed to have health insurance, many transplant expenses are surprisingly not covered such as monthly anti-rejection medications she will need to take for the rest of her life. A cost in upwards of $3000 per month. The entire list of expenses associated with her pre-transplant care, surgery and life long post care are staggering. Her and Daddy will also be accruing travel expenses as her Cardiac Transplant Care Team is 170 miles away from our home.

Our Mommy has been an inspiration through this battle. She is always positive greeting others with a smile and ready to share her infamous laugh. She is eager and willing to help others and has been a role model of what it means to give back to our community. She is a loving, caring person and anyone who meets our Mommy will have an instant friend. She has never let the challenges of heart failure get in the way of striving to make the best possible life for our family. She is a light guided by her faith.

We want our Mommy to see us grow up, graduate high school and college, achieve our career goals and start our own families. To make this a reality for us, we really need your help.

We are asking for family, friends and others touched by our story to join us in fundraising for the nonprofit Help Hope Live that will aide with the critical expenses our Mommy will face today, tomorrow and for the remainder of her life.

Donations to Help Hope Live can help ease the financial burden of a heart transplant and allow our Mommy to focus on a healthy recovery and a long life ahead with us – her little girls. Beyond the money, a donation can also serve as a source of emotional support to our family reminding us that people care and want to help. That is life-affirming.
Please will you consider giving the gift of life to our Mommy. The smallest donation can make a heartfelt difference. Thank you for your consideration.

Ashlyn & Peaches
Daughters of Renee Houghton

Family and friends of Renee Houghton are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with transplantation.

Renee has chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility to the full extent allowed by law 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!