A Strong Heart
High school sweethearts Theresa and Tony have seen a lot in their nearly 50-year-long marriage: a new millennium, new technology, and so much more from their suburban Denver home. Through it all, the loving couple have always had each other.
“I’m still in awe that you can see a doctor over the phone!” Theresa said. “I’m still rising to The Jetsons.”
Tony first experienced heart issues when he was 16 years old. He faced challenges again just after he and Theresa were married in 1976, and later in 2016 when he went into cardiac arrest while coaching a softball game. After a defibrillator saved his life, Theresa was shocked when Tony hadn’t changed a bit.
“He woke up and wanted to know who won the game,” she said. “It was like normal.”
But surviving cardiac arrest wasn’t the end to Tony’s challenges. As he recovered and persevered, one of his kidneys failed, leaving him in the intensive care unit for 32 days. With Theresa by his side, they were stunned when a doctor informed them Tony had been living for years with an undiagnosed rare disease, pulmonary hypertension (PH). The disease affects the blood vessels in the lungs.
“Doctors could not believe that he was still functioning,” Theresa said. “Tony is just an anomaly; he just keeps on plugging away.”
Tony’s doctors immediately prescribed him treatment to stabilize his condition, manage his pulmonary hypertension, and improve his lung health. To help with the cost of the care, they referred Tony to The Assistance Fund’s (TAF’s) Pulmonary Hypertension Copay Assistance Program. The disease program provides financial assistance for out-of-pocket costs for prescribed FDA-approved treatment, such as copays, deductibles, and coinsurance.
“We never knew anything about TAF,” Theresa said. “They are just miracles.”
Within minutes, Tony was approved for assistance. Since beginning his treatment, Theresa said Tony has shown a remarkable turnaround and his lung numbers have returned “almost down to normal.”
“If I hadn’t had this medicine, I’d be dead by now,” Tony said. “TAF is really quite a blessing.”
Back on the move, Tony is exercising and attending his grandkids’ basketball games. The couple has four grandkids, all between the ages of five and 10, who live nearby. Most important, the kids get plenty more time with “Gee and Papa.”
“They’re our treat,” Theresa said. “They love their Papa.”
