As many of you already know, Betsy has dealt with heart issues in the past (she had her first cardiac arrest at age 35) but has been incredibly healthy and without symptoms for the past 7.5 years. That changed in September when her ICD went off for the first time ever. Since then she has undergone medicine adjustments, multiple hospitalization, a replacement of her ICD and adding a pacemaker, repeated and painful ICD shocks and a sympathectomy. The Sympathectomy was the “Hail Mary” and this past Monday night we found out that it didn’t work. She once again had a cardiac arrest. This time her device did not shock her as expected. Luckily she was not home alone and both Dave and Claire were able to perform CPR until medics arrived. After many consultations with specialists, doctors, surgeons, etc. the consensus is that a heart transplant is the next step and one that should be done soon. She is currently at OSU Ross Heart Hospital and preparing for the transplant. Obviously, this is not something we even considered a possibility for her at age 43. To say we are in shock is an understatement. Still, she is healthy in all other ways, young, and in the best hands possible at the Ross. We have many reasons to believe that the surgery will be a success and her long term prognosis could be very positive. Still, the road ahead is a tough one and we know that support will be needed. In the past couple of months, we have felt the prayers and support of the family, friends, and community around us. We are so grateful for everything! There are challenges ahead and so many unknowns. But what we do know is that we are surrounded by love, support and generosity. It’s hard to even put into words what that has meant to us and how much comfort that brings to us during these difficult moments. Please know that if a text goes unanswered or a thank you note doesn’t arrive in a timely fashion, it only means that our focus is on getting her well and getting her back to her family. It’s easy to feel unlucky and defeated. But, when we step back and look at the outpouring of support and care, we can’t help but feel blessed as well. It’s truly humbling to be in this position. One request that we have for everyone who interacts with Dave and the kids on a regular basis - please try to refrain from asking them about the details or how they are doing. It is really important to Betsy that her kids have a bit of normal and that they are able to have time to be kids and not constantly focused on the worry. Trust that they will reach out if they need support or if they need someone to talk to. The kids are well cared for and we are all watching out for their emotional health. The first thing we would ask everyone is to keep Betsy and the family in your prayers. Additionally, they have already been showered with gifts of food, help with the kids and so many things that people just stepped up and did in the moment. But knowing that this is more of a long term situation and she is going to need ongoing support, we thought it would be best to organize the support and communicate what they need. That is why we have created this page. We will share their needs and communicate the ways people can help. We will do what we can to update everyone and share the progress as she makes her recovery.