Warren Mackey

Welcome to our Caring Bridge website. We've created it to keep friends and family updated about our loved one, Warren Mackey.


Everyone invited to join this site is asked to be focused on the strategic prayers we need for Warren's recovery. I will do my best to update daily with his status as it's quite a task to keep the world that loves "Warren" verbally informed. Look for the latest journal entries, , and write Warren and his family a note in the guestbook . Feel free to pass this website on to others to be invited into our prayer team just advise them to comment about how they know Warren.


This Care Bridge was opened 10 years ago ...so this story was written then, for which I'm grateful to have not had to update it for 10 years - until now.

It was  by the Grace of God that one of Warren's best friends, Tony Eaddy brought Warren to the hospital from church on Mother's Day - 2010. By the third church service, Warren was complaining of trouble breathing. He was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism; a blood clot that travels to your lungs. There is a 30% mortality in cases not immediately addressed. There are no words to express my love and appreciation for the concerning friendship that saved his life. Warren was administered morphine which resulted in 3 days of violent rejection by his drug free soul. During these days and nights, I (Denyse) kept poking for the medical answers to "why". I simply could not accept the theory that this was related to our flight to Aruba a month ago. One of the nurses allowed me to look at computerized scans done in the ER and I noticed one said "enlarged heart". For 2 days there was never a mention of his heart - when i asked the Dr he said "I looked at it and I think it was an over exaggerated read by the radiologist. I insisted he get a third perspective from a cardiologist and sure enough - we found the source. Warren's heart has been diagnosed to be operating at 25% functionality, which likely caused the blood clot. I was told by a dear friend from work "you are in the worst phase and be amazed at the advancement of what medicine can do". The worst phase is the discovery phase; and even with all the faith in the world, it's natural to be scared of the unknown - yet there are glimmers of light; seeing the daily victories of progress. After we get these two life threatening conditions stabilized, they will next evaluate a "rhythm issue" with Warren's heart to ascertain if he needs a defibrillator. Let this be a lesson to all, don't assume anything regarding the state of your health. Warren walked around with absolutely no symptoms. He discounted his family's heart history believing that it was isolated to those that smoke - and yet, here we are; with never a drug, smoke or drink in his vessels. Its our prayers that our experience saves someone else

The conclusion of all this will be that Warren will go home with his heart functioning at less than 25% and we will pray that the medicines will improve his state over time. It will require very frequent visits to the doctor, tremendous management of diet (low sodium/restricted liquids) and a "renewed" perspective on life from Warren as to how he prioritizes his energies. We ask for for your ongoing prayers that he will do whatever it takes to be able to walk his girls down the aisle and give them away to someone as awesome as their Dad. May God's Will be done. We will leave the hospital with a defibrillator that we hope never goes off but has the ability to save his life and be on blood thinners to avoid clotting.


God has clearly supplied all our needs thru this process; thru the support, love and scripture strength and prayers from people all over the world (literally; Shanghai China to Albany NY). I drove home one night and what spoke to my heart was "Don't wait to need Me, to know Me". I thank God for being an "I am a __)" God


Jan 2021 Update:

For the past two years Warren has been a revolving door approximately every 2-3 months being admitted to Albany Medical Center hospital for IV diuretics to discharge excess water. He has a cardiac MEMs device installed that electronically transmits his lung and heart pressure daily to his doctors office. On Friday Jan 8th the doctors office called to tell hi his levels were too high and he needed to self admit himself into the hospital again thru the Albany Med ER.



After being there for 6 days, Madison, Makayla and I were approved for a compassion visit to see him as an COVID exception as the doctors locally declared this is no more they can do for him locally given the progression of his heart failure. Words cannot describe how surreal that feeling is to walk empty hospital corridor out with your children and not their dad, while passing a self directed piano that was playing a Frank Sinatra sound.



We were proactively planning for this day and after God successfully brought me thru four surgeries and full recovery in 2020, Warren started the heart transplant approval process being led under the direction of Dr Jorde @ Monte Fiore Hospital.  Dr. Yorde (and Dr Goldstein) are literally world renowned specialists in heart failure having led multiple clinical trials in attempt to innovate and advance technology and health care. Thru an extensive - very extensive 10 day process in Monte Fiore hospital in November 2020, Warren was approved on the heart transplant list early Dec 2020 as a Stage 6 (lowest level but hes on the list).



Once transferred to Monte Fiore it was great to have the established doctor relationships and workup  done already..the discussion was able to mobilize into what we do to "bridge" his life until he can get a heart transplant. This "bridge" plan changed since 4Q20 due to progressive heart failure from doing a clinical trial to now installing an LVAD (left ventricular assisted device). The LVAD will basically pump the left side of his heart for him mechanically. Its life altering for Warren and his entire family but it's the only option we have. If Kidney failure sets in his will be ineligible for a heart transplant. As is, his blood type is O which means he can only receive an O donor heart and the donor has to be within 5% of Warren's height and weight to be the right size heart to support his body mass. This entire prayer topic is just so sad that we haven't comprehended how to effectively pray for a transplant. To think that someone has to die in order for Warren to live comes with heavy emotion. Once the LVAD is successfully implanted Warren will advance to a Stage 3 transplant candidate for 30 days and thereafter he will default to a Stage 4 candidate if one doesn't become available. Here forth, all medical care for Warren has to be done at Monte Fiore in NYC (3 hours away) - so eventually we will have to assess how to navigate this. I'm thankful for his brother Elston who has offered to help with significant transportation demands he will have for the first several months once discharged.



His entire family thanks you for keeping us all in your prayers as we navigate this journey in  restoring  Warren's contagious laugh, loving spirit and giving soul.