Todd’s Story

Site created on October 1, 2020

Todd's journey began February 5, 2016, just  before 9pm. That was a night none of us will ever forget. We were playing coed softball and after rounding first base he collapsed. The minutes following still haunt me. CPR, paramedics, hours and hours waiting for news in the emergency room. Those hours were followed by medical transport via Helicopter to JFK Hospital in Lantana where he would spend the next several weeks. Impella device, emergency stent placement and induced hypothermia were all in place before sunrise Saturday morning.  Things didn't look good. All of our family was called and arrived within days. That weekend was also Superbowl weekend.🏈 I had the nurse put on the game for him with the speaker placed near his head. I didn't know if he could hear it but knew that he would want to, if he could. I was afraid to sleep, I didn't want to miss a call from the hospital. I didn't eat. My phone was held hostage until I ate a few bites. I felt like a child but so grateful for those that held me so close during Todd's health crisis. As the hours turned into days, he was showing signs of improvement. He was actually pulling through! I told him that it was the power of prayer. He told me it was my mom who passed away just 14 months prior. She knew that there was no way I could handle losing him as I was still grieving for her.  He did it! He came home 3 weeks after his near fatal heart attack!!!!!! He continued to improve but his heart had sustained so much damage that we were told how likely the need would be for a heart transplant, at some point. That time has come. Today is October 1, 2020. Todd started the evaluation process for a heart transplant at the end of June, 2020 and will finish up in November, 2020. Based upon his numbers in November, his transplant team may opt to keep him inpatient until transplant.

Newest Update

January 13, 2021

Journal entry by Kim St. Louis —

The time has come as Todd will head into surgery tomorrow morning to have his LVAD inserted. He will remain hospitalized 7-10 days following surgery. Those days will be intense. He will be in A LOT of pain as his body recovers. Not just surgical pain but his body will need time to adjust to a mechanical pump doing the work of his heart. He will be attached to batteries or the wall 24 hours a day. He will have a drive line wire that will come out of his tummy that will require dressing changes to ensure he doesn't develop an infection. This drive line goes directly to his heart. We both will be taught to change these dressings, as well as everything we ever wanted to know about a Heartmate III heart pump Our lives will revolve around this pump, until his heart is matched for transplant.
We are both terrified but have complete confidence in the Heart team and know that God is on our side. The surgery is expected to take 4-6 hours. He will be on a breathing machine until Friday. 
Hope to see him back on the ball field this year. Coaching for now, maybe playing fall ball, maybe even summer ball! I know he would never ask this but text messages of encouragement would mean a lot. It's expected that he will have some rough days ahead and that support will keep him going.
Please keep him, as well as me and the surgical team in your prayers.

Read More of the journal titled "January 13, 2021"
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