Kelsey

At 28 years old, after surviving cardiac arrest, my husband Kaleb was diagnosed with a rare, genetic heart muscle disease called ARVD. This disease causes the heart muscle to be replaced with fat and it puts the gene carriers at risk for sudden cardiac death. In September of 2021, Kaleb had another episode of cardiac arrest due to his defibrillator not firing. This further damaged his heart and his heart function was not able to improve with medications. Per his medical team, he was not a candidate for IV medications to help strengthen his heart and he was also not a candidate for an LVAD heart pump due to the life threatening arrhythmias.

The only hope for my husband was a heart transplant.

In February of 2022, Kaleb received the gift of life at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. We are forever grateful for Kaleb’s donor. He now has a second chance at life and is able to play with our two young children each and every day.