In April of 2005, our daughter Erika Kate, then three and a half years old, was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy and secondary pulmonary hypertension, a severe form of heart and lung disease. After an extensive work-up at a nearby university medical center, we were told that Erika’s condition was very serious and that she would soon need a heart transplant. We were devastated. To make matters worse, we learned that because of the advanced state of Erika’s heart disease, her lungs had been damaged beyond the point at which she could qualify for a heart transplant. We were told that a new (donor) heart was sure to fail in the presence of Erika’s co-existing lung disease. Her options were limited, her prognosis was poor, and the doctors suggested she may have just a couple more years to live. We were given four options in selecting her course of treatment: Read more