Brandon man waits for gift of life

 

Every day is a waiting game for Andrew Taylor.

Since Sept. 21, the 26-year-old Brandon native has been waiting for the ultimate gift of life, a new heart. That’s the day his name went on the national heart transplant needs list and the day the ICU unit at the Minneapolis Heart Institute-Abbott Northwestern Hospital became his temporary residence.

Taylor’s history leading up to his need for a heart transplant dates back to 2004, when, at age 13, he was diagnosed with the medical condition, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. The ailment causes thickening of the heart muscle, making it more difficult for his heart to pump blood. It also causes shortness of breath, chest pain and a disruption in rhythm of his heart (arrhythmias), all which led to heart failure 10 years later during his college years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

His heart failure was stabilized in 2014 by implanting a special pacemaker (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator or ICD) along with additional medications. The measures worked well for a time, keeping his tender heart beating, that was, until earlier this year.

In late July, Taylor’s heart failure symptoms resurfaced, and he assumed that his medications needed to be adjusted. Instead, Taylor was admitted in early September to United Hospital in St. Paul for 12 days and learned from doctors that his young heart had reached its end stage. Doctors implanted a new pacemaker to help lower his heart rate and “buy some time” as he waits for the transplant.

Five days after being discharged from United, while scheduling an appointment at Minneapolis Heart Institute-Abbott Northwestern Hospital to begin the heart transplant screening process, he was immediately admitted there. Despite his need for a heart transplant, doctors remain encouraged by the young man’s health status, which makes him an ideal candidate for the transplant. He is listed as a 1A candidate, which elevates his name to the top of the list.

Born and raised in Brandon, Taylor graduated with honors from Brandon Valley High School in 2010, where he played football and was involved in the band program. From BVHS, he went on to UN-L, where he earned a degree in biological systems engineering. His medical condition led him to switch his major, and this past January, Taylor landed a job with the very company that manufactures his pacemaker, Boston Scientific. In late July - seven months into his career with Boston Scientific as a clinical field representative based in Duluth, Minn. - Taylor’s heart failure symptoms resurfaced. 

Close friend Nichole Lange shared Oct. 28 that Taylor had a left ventricular assist device placed (LVAD) the day before. The device assists his heart in pumping blood. On Nov. 7, she reported, “After 12 days at United, 49 days at Abbott, two surgeries, lots of sleepless nights, terrible hospital food and too many games of rummy to count, Andrew Taylor is out of the hospital!”  

Because costs associated with Taylor’s medical condition continue to mount, Lange established a GoFundMe page on behalf of Taylor in September. To date, $14,545 of the $100,000 goal has been donated. To make a contribution, visit gofundme.com.