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Restaurant fundraiser to help Ricardo Santiago

Ricardo “Ricky” Santiago literally has a broken heart. He hopes to receive a new one for Valentine’s Day and is on the waiting list for a heart transplant.

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Publish Date: 05:25PM 01/27/10

Santiago, 31, was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 2007, and doctors said the disease was caused by medication Santiago received as a child during chemotherapy treatments for leukemia. In 2005, he received a pacemaker to help regulate his heart, but doctors now say a transplant is his only hope. He has been on the waiting list for more than a year. In 2008, Santiago underwent surgery to have a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implanted, which will act as a mechanical heart until he receives the transplant. The device must constantly remain connected to an electrical unit to keep his heart pumping. The average heart transplant costs approximately $750,000, and Santiago’s health insurance will cover only a portion of these expenses. He also will need a lifetime of follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications. The medications alone may cost as much as $5,000 each month and are as critical to his survival as the transplant itself. To overcome these financial challenges, Santiago turned to the National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) for assistance. NFT is a nonprofit organization that helps transplant patients raise funds to pay for transplant-related expenses. “It breaks my heart to see Ricky and his young family facing these obstacles,” said Lauren Wilmer, NFT fundraising consultant. “Ricky has endured health problems for many years, and a heart transplant could be the answer to his family’s prayers. He has been so sick that he can’t even lift his 2-year-old son, and we want him to have the opportunity to watch his little boy grow up. At NFT, we’re helping Ricky raise the necessary funds so he can focus on his health and his family without worrying about the financial burdens related to transplantation.” Volunteers are planning a restaurant fundraiser, Wednesday, Feb. 10 at Illiano’s Trattoria, 929 Bank Street in New London. From 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Illiano’s will donate a percentage of sales to help Santiago with his transplant expenses. Restaurant diners must sign a book to be sure their meal is included in percentage donated to NFT in Santiago’s honor. For more information, please contact Jennie Santiago at smithjennie@sbcglobal.net or 860-514-5200. To make a donation in honor of Santiago, please mail a tax-deductible gift to the NFT Connecticut Heart Fund, 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Please be sure to write “in honor of Ricardo Santiago” in the memo line. Secure donations also can be made online at www.transplants.org. Donors should click on “Patients We Help” to locate Santiago. About NFT NFT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Memphis, Tenn. that has been helping transplant patients overcome financial obstacles since 1983. NFT provides fundraising expertise and advocacy to transplant patients by organizing fundraising campaigns in the patients’ own communities. In the past 26 years, NFT has helped generate nearly $56 million to assist patients with their expenses. NFT currently assists more than 1,000 transplant candidates and recipients nationwide. For more information about NFT, please call 800-489-3863 or visit www.transplants.org. ###