It's the season of giving and if you are looking for a local nonprofit to support, let me introduce you to the fantastic work of a local woman with one of the the biggest hearts in town.
"After my own heart transplant surgery in 2018, I realized how many factors are involved in being approved for this life saving surgery," shares Denise Redeker, Petaluma-based Founder and CEO of Heartfelt Help Foundation.
"You have to be sick enough to need it, healthy enough to survive it, have family and/or friends ready to be your caregivers, pass psycho-social evaluations and have the funds to pay the medically required costs that insurance doesn't cover."
The largest of these medically required costs is post transplant housing. A heart transplant recipient is required to relocate to within a short drive of their transplant hospital for the first few months post transplant.
"These first months are when the patient is at their most medically fragile and require frequent follow up appointments at the hospital," says Denise. "This cost is, at best, minimally covered by insurance."
Denise's own family's struggle to locate and afford suitable housing in Silicon Valley, while still maintaining their home in Petaluma was the inspiration behind Heartfelt Help Foundation.
"We received our 501c3 designation this year and have established relationships with the Bay Area transplant facilities and also with short term apartment rental agencies and suite style hotels that provide the right kind of housing for patients while they are at their most immunosuppressed," says Denise. "Our first clients have been so grateful for the ability to focus on their recovery and not where the funds will be coming from to pay for temporary housing in two of the most expensive places to live in the Bay Area - Silicon Valley and San Francisco."
Denise explains: "Our goal is to raise enough funds so that no Bay Area transplant recipient needs to worry about where the money is coming from for this relocation or be delayed in receiving their second chance due to a lack of funds."
Right now, Denise and her foundation have launched a new campaign to encourage recurring donations and are offering a thank you hat with a custom design that was created for the campaign by a local artist. Click here to chip in.
In addition to donations, please follow, like, and share Denise's content on Instagram @heartfelthelpfoundation!
Every bit of engagement helps share this message and promotes HHF to recipients the non-profit may be able to assist.
"We’re regularly posting updates about what we’ve been up to, how you can help transplant recipients in your area and interesting stats about organ donation," says Denise.
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