A GoFundMe has been set up to help a Grand Forks man, whose medical condition has put him in a precarious situation.
Over the past six months, Dave Kirk’s life, and that of his partner Gerri Tubrett, have revolved around Dave’s hearts. His first heart — damaged beyond repair — was replaced with a new transplanted heart, which led to kidney damage, and an ongoing medical journey that’s put them in considerable financial straits.
Dave only recently found he suffered from congenital heart failure — a chronic condition, present from birth, that gets worse with time. In Dave’s case, it was only discovered seven years ago, his partner Gerri Tubrett said.
“He’s been dealing with heart failure all this time — so off work, back to work …” Tubrett said.
But then, last fall, Dave developed a leaking heart valve, which required heart valve replacement surgery in Vancouver.
That operation, on November 30, 2022, went well, Tubrett said.
“But when they went to take him off the machine, his heart completely failed. The heart was just too damaged, and couldn’t handle it — all the new fluid and action.”
So Dave was put back on the heart machines — and also at the top of the heart transplant recipient list.
The transplant took place December 13.
“He had a real tough go of it,” Tubrett said. “There were lots of close calls. He was in and out of the operating room six times in two weeks, with blood clots on his lungs … he had some neurological issues where he went through delirium. All kinds of interesting stuff. It was a scary time, for sure.”
“It was awful,” Dave said.
Dave’s heart is now doing fine, but he also since sustained kidney damage. This can happen following a heart transplant. The anti-rejection medications that Dave is on affect the kidneys as well, Tubrett said.
Dave has to go to Trail hospital twice a week for dialysis — an hour and 20 minutes each way. Each dialysis session takes four hours, with one of the weekly sessions taking place in the evening, making for an onerous regular commute.
Not only that, Dave has to go to Vancouver once a month as well, for a heart biopsy.
“For the first year after a heart transplant, you have to get a heart biopsy done once a month,” Tubrett said. “This month we have to do it twice.”
“We’re not sure the kidneys will recover. Sometimes they do.”
Going back to work, of course, is out of the question.
The community where they live has stepped up to show support before, helping Dave and Gerri with their first trip to Vancouver.
“We had started a GoFundMe before, when we had to go down for the original surgery. I missed all the time at work. Then when things changed when we were down there — for three and a half months, needing a place to rent. There was some support from the Heart Transplant Society, but still — with mortgage payments and bills at home and having to miss work, the couple found themselves in a tough position.
Gerri and Dave are grateful for the support Grand Forks has shown for them. They also said Hope Air can provide assistance for some of the travel and accommodations in Vancouver.
The GoFundMe for Dave Kirk can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-dave-continue-with-his-medical-treatment