Share the Season helps 19-year-old who just went through his ninth heart surgery
Share the Season is an annual campaign that offers one-time aid to people affected by unforeseen hardships. The people are not identified to protect their privacy.
This 19-year-old has battled for a normal, healthy life since birth.
He was born with a heart defect that had put him on the operating table eight times before this year. On Dec. 1, that number became nine.
"My doctors have determined within the last month that I need to have open heart surgery," he wrote on his Share the Season form. "My surgery, to replace my aortic valve, will be performed (out of state). Within the last month, we traveled there for testing, and I missed a week of work."
He just wants to finish school and live a normal life. He’s a full-time student and works 30 hours a week. But the open-heart surgery will put him out of work for at least six weeks. That means getting behind on car payments, school and life.
"It is important to me to be a working member of society and to finish my education," he wrote on his Share the Season form. "A gift from Share the Season would allow me to concentrate on healing after my surgery without pushing myself to return to work too quickly."
Share the Season helped him with his car payments, allowing him to avoid losing his only means of transportation to and from school and work. Now he can focus on recovering.
Share the Season is a joint project of The Eagle, the Wichita Community Foundation and the Salvation Army.
So far this season, it has raised has raised $100,887.
Send contributions to Share the Season at the Wichita Community Foundation, 301 N. Main, Suite 100, Wichita, KS 67202. To donate online, go to www.sharetheseason.org. If you have questions about donating, call 316-264-4880.
Donors will be listed in The Eagle; please note if you prefer to remain anonymous.
To apply for help, fill out an application at www.sharetheseason.org or pick one up at the Salvation Army, 350 N. Market. The application deadline is Dec. 15. For more information, call 316-263-2769.
Among recent donors:
Grace Kennedy-Pratt, in honor of Bill Kennedy and David Pratt; Dan and Sue Leis; Geoffrey and Linda Luerding; Geri Lynde; Errolene McClintick; Jerry and Charlotte Miller; James and Janet Mood, in memory of Jim and Marion Mood and Warren and Audria Ballard; Shirley Overstreet, in honor of Larry Overstreet and MaryEllen Horine; Curtis and Mary Peck; Ron and Diana Peden; Carolyn Roper; Bruce and Linda Schreck; Morrie and Jana Sheets; George Stephens and Elizabeth Dell; Wayne and Debra Stout; Bradley and Joann Tuzicka; Michael and Dara Valliere; Randy and Sheri Wedekind; Peggy Willcut; Gail Williams; and 16 anonymous donors.
This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Share the Season helps 19-year-old who just went through his ninth heart surgery."