Reaching for a heart

Jamar Robinson 32 years old

Troy Graduate (Youth advocate)Youth detention counselor and Child youth sports programmer

In 2017, after working at sports camp on Ft Benning, I had a very bad headache. The next day while teaching a youth group, I had to leave work early because I still wasn’t feeling good.

I decided to go to see my doctor who diagnosed me with a summer flu.

Two days later, I started having a dry cough and went to the emergency room. The doctor said, "I am sorry, but you have congestive heart failure." This was one of the worst days of my life as the doctor told me my heart was only functioning at 10%.

My path to recovery was diffcult, but I began to show improvement; however, after, a year without symptoms, on November 5th, I had to be rushed to the hospital for heart complications. My health started to rapidly decline, so my Cardiologist recommended to have a defibrillator put into my heart. Although I had the procedure, more heart failure symptoms started to occur: swelling, weight gain, and shortness of breath.

On March 4th, my doctor recommended me to an Advance Heart failure doctor. At the first appointment, my new doctor said, "Jay you have less then three months to live with your enlarged heart", and admitted me to a well star hospital the same day. Two weeks later, I flatlined the day before my scheduled surgery. On March 16th, I was able to receive my LVAD 6 months later, and now I’m bridge to transplant at Emory!!!!! It’s been a long journey. I hope to be able to receive a new heart and a new opportunity to live a full life again so that I can get back to giving back to my community and pouring into the lives of Youth.

To donate to my campaign, please click the Support button or mail checks to the: Georgia Transplant Foundation, 2201 Macy Drive, Roswell, GA 30076, and enter my name in the memo field of your check. For more information please contact the Transplant Fundraising Program at 1-866-428-9411 or 770-457-3796 or by visiting www.gatransplant.org. Thank you!