Amy Hopkins' New Heart Valve
Amy Hopkins is a remarkable woman whose life is the embodiment of living simply and giving generously. A member of the Musical Instrument Maker's Forum, talented musician, skilled luthier, and accomplished carpenter, she lives an incredibly modest life. Amy cares for her ailing father at his home and lives in a building on the same farm without the modern conveniences many of us take for granted.
When Katrina struck New Orleans Amy not only helped restore numerous instruments that had been damaged, she also made multiple trips to NOLA to help rebuild fellow musician Sunpie and wife's home.
Amy also helped my husband and I rebuild our home after the 2010 Nashville flood. She was the first to arrive and declared a home that had been under 2' of water for over three days, "not bad. This is nothing. We can save it."
Now it's up to us to save Amy. Recently, her doctor discovered a congenital defect in her aorta where two of the aortic valvular leaflets had fused during development; a condition called Bicuspid Aortic Valve. People with BAV tire easily and have difficulty maintaining stamina for moderate to intense physical activity. The heart is unduly stressed in order to either pump more blood through a defective valve or attempt to circulate regurgitation blood through a leaking valve. Surgery to replace the defective valve was imperative. Amy's doctor told her without the procedure she would be dead within a year's time.
Thankfully Amy had her surgery at Johns Hopkins on June 15th. She did better than expected and is now convalescing at home. With no insurance and barely any posessions Amy has too much to qualify for assistance yet far too little to pay the mounting medical bills herself. Our goal is to raise $35,000 to go in it's entirety (minus indiegogo's fees) towards Amy's surgery and aftercare expenses.
Please help Amy in any way you can. If you can give a few dollars your donation, however small, makes a difference. If you can't give you can spread the word. Share Amy's story by using the sharing tools below or by using good old-fashioned word of mouth. Let's show Amy that a lifetime of caring has earned her a ton of good karma in return!