NEW YORK, Fla. A mom in Central Florida needs a heart transplant because she has a rare heart disease that is “one in a million.” After giving birth to her fifth child in September 2023, she got this illness.
Shavona Shepard said, “I just feel like God put me in this to teach me a lesson.”
Two weeks after giving birth, she was told she had maternal cardiomyopathy. Not being able to do things has been hard for her.
“People stress me out, so I don’t want to be around them.” Sometimes it’s hard for me to get ready, get out of bed, cook, and clean.
She found out she had these health problems when her back started to hurt really badly.
“It was different from other people because I wasn’t short of breath; it was just my back.” “I was in so much pain that I felt like I couldn’t move,” she said.
She went to the hospital because of this. When she got there, she was admitted, and the doctors told her her heart was too big. For now, while she waits for her donation, she has to wear a Life Vest all the time, which will start her heart beating again if it stops.
“If I’m out and about or at a theme park, they can actually track me and find me if my heart stops if I’m out with my kids or anyone,” she added.
The vest warns paramedics. She needs a new heart, which can cost almost $1.6 million without insurance. This will help her for a short time. Support Hope Live is a group that wants to help Shepard get the heart she needs and give her money while the process is going on.
“There are expenses like relocation, but it is also food that you need while you are there, and supplies that you need while you’re there, and day-to-day living, and it could be transportation to and from the hospital,” said Help Hope Live CEO Kelly Green.
