Transplant Type - Heart

We are thrilled to report that Joe received his heart transplant in November 2010 and is recovering well!

Joe's family has a history of heart disease, and he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy after he began seeing a cardiologist in 2005. Doctors told Joe a heart transplant was essential to his survival.

In 2009, he received a HeartMate II, an implanted device that acted as a mechanical heart until he received his lifesaving transplant.

An avid outdoorsman, Joe loves to camp, fish and hike, but his health has prevented him from enjoying these activities. He looks forward to resuming a normal life and once again training pet therapy dogs, a volunteer activity he found very rewarding. But he needs your help.

A heart transplant costs approximately $775,000. And that's only the beginning. Joe faces significant medical expenses related to his transplant. For the rest of his life, he will need follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications. The cost of post-transplant medications can range from $2,000 to $5,000 per month--and they are as critical to his survival as the transplant itself.

Because of a neck and spinal injury, he can no longer work as an auto body tech, adding to his financial strain. Joe recently relocated more than 350 miles from his home in Montana to Spokane, WA to be closer to his transplant center, incurring significant travel expenses.

You can help.
To make a donation to NFT in honor of Joe, click the link below his photo. If you'd prefer to send your gift by mail, please send it to the NFT Montana Heart Fund, 5350 Poplar Avenue, Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Please be sure to write "in honor of Joe Erickson" on the memo line.

Thank you for your generosity!

Patient Health Institute: Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center