Teresa Capps Is Getting Her New Heart

    We have some wonderful news today!!  Last night we held our annual Cajun boil at our Lake of the Ozarks office and had over 500 attend.  It was a good party but something more important happened. 

     We held a silent auction and 50/50 drawing for Teresa Capps who is in desperate need of a heart transplant.  The auction raised just over $1,100 for her and Amanda LaPorte chose to give her SSE employee of the month $100 donation to Teresa’s foundation.  

Bob, Amanda, Stan and Teresa pose with the check

     Four years ago Teresa had a virus settle in her heart and it basically killed her heart muscle.  This has left her with a heart that only functions at 10% of a normal heart.  She has been hooked up to a machine that pumps medication into her heart that helps keep it working well enough for her to stay alive.  Of course, like most drugs it is slowly becoming less effective and her time is running out.  In addition to her heart problems, she has had major financial issues from the high medical bills and her inability to work.     

     We were happy to help her raise a few dollar last night, but I could not help but think about how hard something like that would be to deal with.  My heart went out to her and I only wished we could do more.  

    Well now we can.  I just learned that Teresa received a call at 1:00am last night letting her know they have a heart for her and she will receive a transplant TODAY!  Her surgery will start at 12:00 and hopefully end around 7:00pm.

    I hope you will join me in praying that God would be with her and the doctors as they perform the operation and that everything would go smoothly.  Also let’s pray that the transplant takes and Teresa can get back to a normal life.  

    Kathy and I have been through our own health care crises.  She had major complications when she was pregnant with the triplets.  The last two months she had to stay on bed rest and in the hospital.  Things were even worse once the girls were born.  They told us Brooklyn wouldn’t make it and the whole situation had us completely shook up.

    During those months I rented an apartment in St. Louis so I could be with Kathy as much as possible.  The girls were in St. Mary’s Hospital and Brooklyn was transferred to Cardinal Glennon.  Brooklyn had surgery on Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and Valentine’s Day.  Slowly her health improved and I’m so thankful to have three healthy 7 year old girls today.  

That crisis almost closed down our business because I could not work as much and the health care costs were staggering.   Without the help of family and friends and a lot of prayers from so many people we never would have made it.  

     Hearing Teresa’s story brought back memories of those painful months in the hospital in St. Louis.  Sometimes I get frustrated with all the problems that life throws my way.  Raising 5 kids and running a company can make life seem hectic and troubled.  But thinking about how much Teresa’s life changed 4 years ago and now, how this operation could get things back to “normal” for her, reminds me of all the blessings I have and how really my troubles are not bad at all.

    I hope you will take a few minutes today to keep her in your prayers and while you’re doing that, consider all your blessings.   

Stan Schultz