Every month, committed supporters and loved ones start actions on our dedicated fundraising website. All money raised through this website is 100% dedicated to scientific research. Thanks to this research, we can work towards eradicating PLN and getting closer to a treatment. We are enormously grateful to our supporters for this support and are therefore also happy to highlight your actions!
Heart-in-a-box
On Sept. 11, father and mother were driving home from a birthday in Buitenpost around 11:15 p.m. The phone rings. The message? “There’s a heart-in-a-box. The ambulance will be with you in 10 minutes.” Father Jan is a carrier of the inherited PLN mutation. After a very medical history, he has been on a waiting list for a donor heart since 2020. His heart-pump function at the time had dropped to only 10%. In May 2022, we got our first call that there was a donor heart. Unfortunately, this did not go ahead at the last minute. The family sees it as a dress rehearsal.
On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the time came. All signals on green. At 3 p.m., the family received word that the operation was starting. The operation would take 4 to 5 hours. The doctor will contact you as soon as the surgery is complete. When the family had not heard anything after 5 hours (8 p.m.), they became more nervous. Jan talks more about his surgery, transplant and PLN in a video for RTV NOF.
Complications
In the end, they did not receive the redeeming message that the operation was successful until 9 hours after takeoff. Unfortunately, there was a complication: a tear in the aorta caused a delay. The doctors did a monster job. After several exciting days in intensive care, he woke up Monday, Sept. 18.
Jan awake after surgery, text continues below photo.
good recovery
The moment the family writes the lyrics for the action, Father Jan moves forward by leaps and bounds. He is in his second week of rehabilitation at Beatrixoord in Haren. Rehabilitation is going well. He is already cycling and walking more than before his surgery, even though they are only about 5 weeks away. Moreover, if all continued to go well, he was allowed to return home on Oct. 20, 2023.
Jan during his rehabilitation, text continues below photo.
Heartwarming support
The Boersma family is incredibly grateful for all the heartwarming support in the form of cards and sweet messages. In lieu of flowers, fruit baskets and etc., they are asking for a contribution to the PLN Foundation. Thanks to the money raised, research into this virtually unknown heart condition can continue to be funded.
Would you like to help the Boersma family in their fight against PLN? You can help them tremendously by contributing to their personal action page. All money raised from this will go toward scientific research to better understand the disease and find an affordable treatment.