Welcome to Steve's CaringBridge website. Steve has begun end of life palliative care at home in Lafayette, CO. Steve and Madi have been together for 10 years and married for five. Their daughter Samantha is three and a half, and will begin preschool in September.
We are using this platform to keep our beloved family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for your continual support!
Steve received a heart transplant in 2004 at age 16. To read a bit of that journey visit this link
https://vault.si.com/vault/2005/12/26/a-matter-of-heart (
https://vault.si.com/vault/2005/12/26/a-matter-of-heart )
In 2015 Steve's body began to reject his transplanted heart and thus began our journey to a possible second transplant. In 2016 he became an inpatient at University of Colorado Hospital for 6 month waiting for a heart. Later that year he was transported to Duke University Hospital where he and Madi spent another 6 months waiting for a heart. With no resulting heart donor matches, Steve and Madi came back home to Colorado in the spring of 2017. A few months later they became pregnant with baby Samantha. After this news, Steve became an inpatient at UCLA Hospital in hopes of finding a heart before baby arrived. He spent 6 months of the pregnancy there, where Madi flew to visit him every month. Steve came home to Colorado a few weeks before Samantha's arrival on February 3, 2018. Samantha is named after Samuel, Steve's heart donor.
For the last three and a half years Steve and his family have enjoyed a close to normal quality of life. Being a Dad has kept him resilient through his medical care and challenges. We have spent most of our time as a family in the outdoors and celebrating as many special occasions as possible. Steve expresses his gratitude to all the family, friends, and medical family and friend that have shared special moments and experiences with him.
We encourage you to use the communication features on this website like "Well Wishes" section, or if you need, contact Madi via text at 303-875-4662 or email at mpvargas11@gmail.com.
