Kai Barger, Albee Layer, Jacob’s mother Melissa, and Jacob. He might look fine, but his disease is invisible.
When Jacob Kilby was two years old, he had his first heart transplant. Born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a rare congenital birth defect in which part of the heart is critically under-developed, the left side of Kilby’s heart was unable to effectively pump blood to the body, leaving the right side to do all the work. After four unsuccessful open heart surgeries as an infant, Jacob received a life saving heart transplant after he was given just 24 hours to live.
After Kilby’s surgery, his childhood was very similar to any other kid in San Diego. Despite daily doses of anti-rejection medications and more time at the doctor’s office than his peers, he excelled in school and took up surfing. He took a job at a gas station, ate whatever he wanted, and lived his life as any other teenager in Southern California would.
Now 19, Kilby’s future looks nearly as bleak as it did when he was a baby. Recently diagnosed with Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy, he’s in dire need of another transplant. The condition, an arterial disease that causes the arteries to clog, isn’t uncommon in transplant patients. The only solution is a new heart.
Currently, he’s listed as a stage 2 on the transplant waiting list, which means a new heart isn’t exactly likely. According to Transplant.gov, there are over 4000 people in need of a new heart – each of which costs nearly a million dollars. $997,000, to be exact.
So now the Kilby family is asking for help. They’re a low-income family with a single mother and two younger brothers. While they do have medical coverage, it only covers a fraction of the cost of a life-saving surgery.
To donate to Jacob’s surgery, click here, and to learn more about his cause, check out his Facebook page.
