Amanda Richie Terzian

This year, I am raising funds, awareness, and walking in honor of my beloved father, Donald Ray Richie, who passed away of heart failure on October 8, 2023.

My dad's story began when he was 18. During pre-op tests for a knee surgery, the doctors discovered he had a heart murmur. This was in the 70's. The recommendation, monitor. Surgery was not advised at that time as the procedure he needed was in its infancy. 

For decades, my father had no signs or real symptoms/issues related to the murmur until 2017/2018. Within months my dad had no energy and fatigued easily. I remember he could barely walk a New York city block without needing to rest. So in 2018, at age 67, my Dad had aortic valve replacement through open-heart surgery. Right after the surgery, his heart did not return to the proper rhythm so a pacemaker had to be installed.

He recovered from those surgeries and thrived.  

Then in 2022, new symptoms began to arise. Loss of appetite, back pain, and pneumonia like symptoms. My dad (reluctantly) did what he was supposed to do, he went to the ER, multiple times.

Unfortunately, through incorrect and missed ER diagnoses that went on for months, an infection that most likely started in my dad’s stomach(gut) had implanted itself on his heart (where the replacement was done). By the time it was properly diagnosed, so much of my dad’s heart had been damaged.

Our family was so lucky that a very smart, skilled, talented, and kind cardiothoracic surgeon at VCU accepted him as a patient when most hospitals wouldn't because of how complicated and risky the surgery was going to be. The surgery was scheduled for 8 hours but it went longer due to the severity of the damage and complexity of the procedure. My dad's doctor did the very best he could given the situation.

My dad survived the surgery and we were so optimistic for a full recovery and many more years with him. It is important to note that if my dad had not had the surgery in 2022, he only had a matter of days to live.

So, as hard as the next year was, at least we got more time with him and he was able to witness and be a part of milestones and so many important life moments. But, my dad's quality of life never returned to anywhere close to normal. He tried so hard and wanted to get better, but his heart was just too damaged. 

We had to say goodbye on October 8, 2023.

I hope by walking and raising awareness that another family doesn't have to experience another senseless loss. 

Even before a donation, I want these to be your takeaways:

-know your family history: ask the questions now, document, and arm yourself with knowledge so you can be the best historian when you go to the doctor, which will in turn allow them to make the most accurate diagnosis, recommendations, etc. 

-be aware of symptoms/signs (and act immediately)

-details and timing matter and can literally be the difference between life or death.

Your donation will continue to fund ground breaking research and further advancements for heart health (like a pacemaker which helped my dad thrive). That in combination with arming yourself with knowledge will lead to longer, healthier lives.