Debbie

Debbie was born in 2007 in Boise, ID. She was diagnosed with three heart defects at just four days old. She underwent a miraculous repair surgery when she was 11 days old, and that repair lasted eight years.

During that time, we relocated to a small town in Northern California. In 2016, I began to notice some concerning symptoms. After months of advocating with doctors, they finally ordered testing, which revealed that Debbie had severe dilated cardiomyopathy. Her overall heart function (EF) was at 10%. She was dying.

She was transferred to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford in Palo Alto, California. In the first two weeks, we lost her twice. She was ultimately placed emergently on heart and lung bypass (ECMO) for 36 hours to allow her body to rest while doctors prepared to implant an LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) heart pump.

She remained on the LVAD for 11½ months while we waited for a suitable donor match. During that time, she endured numerous treatments and therapies to ensure compatibility. She also suffered a brain bleed (hemorrhagic stroke).

On July 13, 2017, she received her heart transplant. The stroke resulted in some neurological complications and partial blindness. She then spent the next year and four months regaining strength and achieving stability. It often felt like every time she made progress, she faced another setback.

Then, on November 8, 2018—just ten days before we were scheduled to return home—the Paradise, CA fire destroyed our home and all of our belongings.

We have spent the past seven years working to rebuild our lives. We are finally getting close to where we need to be, but Debbie has recently received some unexpected new diagnoses. As a result, we are planning a move closer to her medical team.

The Sammy Remington Angel Heart Foundation is making it possible for us to make this move without going further into debt. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for helping us support our warrior in the way she deserves. We will be forever grateful.

-As told by Debbie’s mom