Jim Ellenberger was in end-stage heart failure when he was referred to the Tendick Clinic for Advanced Heart Failure Therapies at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee.
“I was diagnosed with familial dilated cardiomyopathy, a genetic heart disease. I was told I needed a heart transplant. It was very shocking,” he recalled.
Jim and his wife, Yvonne, live in Eagle River, which is about 250 miles away from Milwaukee. At the hospital, they learned about the transplant housing program at Aurora St. Luke’s.
“We have eight single-family homes near Aurora St. Luke’s that are available for transplant patients who live far away,” explained Adam Kallio, manager of the hospital’s heart transplant program. “This allows them to stay close to the hospital, where we can watch for signs of infection or rejection. Plus, the patients have frequent visits after receiving a transplant, and it just wouldn’t be convenient for them to be driving back and forth.”
Jim and Yvonne checked into one of the homes on a Sunday in July 2021 while they waited for a donor heart to become available.
“On Monday, my pulmonary artery pressure was measured. It’s supposed to be in the 20s, but mine was in the 70s, so I was admitted to the hospital,” said Jim. “I had a balloon pump put in to help pump blood. My kidneys, which hadn’t been functioning well before I was admitted to the hospital, began to fail. Then, I was moved to the top of the transplant list.”
A donor heart became available a few days later. While Jim was in surgery, his family was able to gather at the home and support each other as they waited for updates.
“Waiting for the surgery to be over was very stressful for my wife and our kids,” shared Jim. “They appreciated having a private space to relax, share meals and just be together.”
And after the surgery, Jim’s family was close enough where they could visit him easily and often.
“With COVID restrictions in place, they had to coordinate who got to visit and when. Being nearby helped them with planning too,” said Jim. “And after I was discharged, I was able to walk to the hospital with my wife for the frequent follow-up appointments and procedures.”
How you can help
The transplant housing program is supported, in part, by philanthropy. If a patient is unable to pay to stay in one of the homes, the cost is covered by donations to Aurora Health Care Foundation.
“This program would not exist without the support of donors,” shared Adam. “The families are very grateful for the proximity to the hospital. And the homes are very nice. They’ve all been recently remodeled thanks to donors.”
Jim and Yvonne decided to show their gratitude by making a financial gift to support the program. They also bought some supplies and left them for the next family.
“It’s the least we could do. This program was such a blessing for us and our family, I can’t express how much we appreciated it. I don’t know what we would have done if not for the transplant housing,” added Jim. “I hope the donors to the Foundation realize just how precious it was for us to be able to utilize this opportunity.”
You can support families like Jim’s by donating to the transplant housing program at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center. You can also support a hospital or program in your community.