| Dollar Dash to benefit Children’s Miracle Network |
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| Written by David Bross | |
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An ordinary day in February 2003 has become one that Kolden Cheesman and his family will never forget. While playing at his family’s home, 18 month-old Kolden suddenly became lethargic and he began to lose consciousness. His mother, a nurse, grabbed her stethoscope and proceeded to listen to her young son’s heart. She immediately heard an irregularity and raced him to a local emergency room. After evaluating Kolden, doctors told his parents that he was in heart failure and he was rushed to St. Louis for additional testing. There, he received a heart catheterization and a biopsy to determine the cause. He was diagnosed with Restrictive Cardiomyopathy, a rare disease causing the muscles of the heart to harden. His parents were told that this disease would worsen every day and that the ventricles in his heart would continue to get stiff until, one day, his heart would stop beating. The only solution to save his life would be for Kolden to receive a heart transplant. While waiting for a new heart, Kolden underwent seven heart catheterizations, multiple x-rays, and a battery of other tests. His heart progressively got worse and, in April of 2007, doctors placed Kolden on the top of the heart transplant list. He had a surgically inserted line that delivered medicine to help his heart pump more efficiently and he traveled to St. Louis weekly for check ups. Even in the midst of waiting for a heart to save his life, Kolden’s family remained hopeful. Children’s Miracle Network provided financial assistance to help with travel expenses to and from St. Louis, allowing the family to focus on caring for Kolden and enjoying each day with him. Because of your donations, when Kolden’s family received the phone call telling them that they had a heart in St. Louis, his family was able to drop everything and get to the hospital. On December 20th, 2007, Kolden underwent a heart transplant that saved his life. Each day Kolden grows stronger thanks to your support! |
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