Heart transplant patient told to raise funds, gets $30,000

DETROIT—A Grand Rapids, Mich., woman is back in line for a heart transplant after an outpouring of public support helped her to meet a hospital’s fundraising recommendation.

Spectrum Health confirmed Friday that Hedda Martin, 60, is back on its transplant list and will undergo surgical implantation of a ventricular assist pump as a “bridge” to the future transplant.

It was not immediately clear how long she may have to wait for her new heart. As of Nov. 1, 159 people in Michigan were waiting for a heart transplant, according to United Network for Organ Sharing data.

A transplant committee with the Grand Rapids-based hospital system previously ruled Martin ineligible, citing her lack of financial wherewithal to afford the necessary anti-rejection drugs with the $4,500 annual deductible in her Medicare plan.

Along with that initial rejection, the committee recommended that Martin undertake a $10,000 fundraising campaign for the drugs.

Martin’s story went viral on social media, and nearly 500 people contributed a total $30,730 to a GoFundMe campaign for her medications and transplant.

“Thank you all for helping Hedda reach, and far exceed, her fundraising goals,” the GoFundMe page announced this week. “Your generosity and kind thoughts have overwhelmed and touched Hedda, her family, friends and our community greatly.”