JENNIE: Piedmont Augusta Foundation supports patients, the community, and more: one LVAD patient shares his story
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — We’re talking about Heart Month and an incredible medical device at Piedmont Augusta Heart Failure Center that is a game changer for patients who aren’t eligible for a heart transplant.
Nationally, more than 3500 people are on the waiting list for a heart transplant. Up to 700,000 more patients need a transplant, but they aren’t eligible. And without it, they will die. Several years ago, Piedmont Augusta Heart Failure Center, then called University, started the LVAD program. The device pumps blood for the heart, actually giving patients new life.
And we have a couple of guests today to talk about that, and the Piedmont Foundation’s impact on health care for people right here in the CSRA: Amanda Richardson is the Foundation Gift Officer at the Piedmont Augusta Foundation, Wayne Habersham is an LVAD patient who says there is a difference in just living your life and having a quality of life.
Wayne Habersham: “It has been tremendously life changing. I wouldn’t – well, I won’t say life changing life. I’ll say life extending. Life Extending. And quality of life. You know, you’re able – I feel brand new, I guess I can put it that way.
“When I first found out I had a heart problem, I had become just basically house-ridden. It was limited things that I could do. I’m talking about simple things as far as like just leaving the house to go to the mailbox. You’re limited because you don’t have the energy and stuff. The heart, you just don’t have it. And I went to my heart doctor, Dr. Karia, and he explained that LVAD would be a new way for me to exist because it is hard to get a heart, not a lot of people donate. There’s not a lot of donors for hearts, and it’s kind of hard. But this LVAD was a doorway to me to live and, not just live, have a good quality of life until I could get a heart.I first started with Piedmont. They had counselors and stuff. They take you through a process in which you know what to expect. They talk about your surgery. They talk about not just having the surgery, but functioning after the surgery. And it became – I had my surgery September the 16th, 2020. They had Piedmont-sponsored health care aides to come to the house to help me, make sure I exercise and make sure I was eating right and everything. And it was a fantastic journey for me. I can’t say that nothing was wrong with it. You get in it, what you put in it. If you want to live, the LVAD is your best resource if you can’t get a heart and I back it 100%… That’s a blessing to me.”
JENNIE: “Well, you know, another blessing. We’ll just pick right up on that. For a lot of patients is the Piedmont Augusta Foundation.”
Amanda Richardson: “Yes. So Piedmont Augusta Foundation something that we are just so grateful we’re able to do because of the generosity of our donors, is that we’re able to help patients like Mr. Habersham with patient assistance, life saving medications that are going through the LVAD program and other programs and medical treatments at Piedmont. So the foundation is another source that can help during these medical treatments. They can provide utility bills, transportation, different ways to support patients while they’re going through this treatment. And again, the only reason we’re able to do that is because of the local money that we raise. And the money that we raise stays here to support our community and our patients.”
JENNIE: “You know, I think that’s really an important distinction to make, especially because with the merger with Piedmont and with Piedmont having such a big Atlanta presence, the Piedmont Augusta Foundation, this money stays with Augusta, with our local patient community.”
Amanda Richardson: “Yes, we have been serving this area for over 45 years and we will continue to serve this hospital. So Piedmont Augusta, Piedmont McDuffie, and just in this area, in this community, only. So, we’re happy to be able to continue to do that.”
Wayne Habersham: “I look forward to getting up every morning. Now, when before I got my LVAD, I was kind of like in a state of when, you know. Pretty much giving up. This is giving me – it doesn’t just do it physically for you. It does it emotionally for you and it does it mentally for you. I mean, all three points of your life existence, it boost it. You have hope now back again.”
JENNIE: “You know, you said you had counselors that talked you through everything ahead of time. Do you keep up with the counselors?”
Wayne Habersham: “Yeah. Piedmont. I mean, it’s not just the surgery and then you’re gone. It’s a constant thing. We have holiday dinners. We have, if anything is new happening in the LVAD world, they’ll give us notes on it and everything and you’ve got a 24 hour – I have a 24-7 hotline. If I feel like something is happening with me that’s unusual, I just pick up the phone, tell them the symptoms. They either give me an answer over the phone of what’s going on or they tell me to come in. They’ll check me out. You’re not just done and done. It’s a – we become family. We’re part, you know as a LVAD patient, You’re part of the Piedmont family if you just want to say it that way.”
You can support the Piedmont Foundation in other ways, too. One of the big fundraisers is coming up, the Jernigan Golf Tournament on Monday, May 6th at Woodside at Aiken.
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