Cobbler Seeks Donations

BETWEEN $120,000 AND $150,000 NEEDED TO GET ON WAITING LIST

By Scott F Davis

Posted: November 5, 2009 at 4:25 a.m.

• Print item
• E-mail
• Share
• Tweet

FAYETTEVILLE — Politicians in Congress continue to fuss over health care reform while a Fayetteville cobbler’s family deals with an immediate crisis involving health care costs.

Je◊Clardy, longtime owner of Clardy’s Cobbler Shoppes, needs a heart transplant and to get on the waiting list must quickly raise between $120,000 and $150,000, he said Wednesday.

Clardy, 47, is not the type of person doctors would expect to have heart problems. He doesn’tdrink or smoke. He’s not overweight and he watches what he eats.

He said he went to the emergency room June 22 after su◊ering from what he thought waspneumonia and had quadruple bypass surgery instead. After recovering from successful surgery, his heart condition later deteriorated, he said.

He and wife Marietta explained doctors have qualified him as a good candidate for a heart transplant. The Clardys found out a couple of weeks ago they have to be able to prove they can pay for the after care.

Clardy has health insurance, which will pay for the biggest part of the heart transplant, but the cost of the drugs to keep his body from rejecting the new heart will cost between $5,000and $6,000 each month for the rest of his life. The insurance coverage they have does not includes the costs of drugs, they said.

She said after two years Medicare will pay for 95 percent of the cost of the drugs, but they’ve got to show hospital o◊cials they can a◊ord to pay for the drugs and other costs until then. They don’t blame the hospital.

“They don’t want their patients dying when they go home,” she said.

The Clardys expect a phone call Friday from the hospital in Kansas City to find out how much progress they’ve made toward raising money, she said.

They need to get on the waiting list quickly because the average transplant patient waits about 36 days, she said. Without the transplant, doctors say he’ll live three months to a year, she said.

He is healthy enough now to have the transplant, but the longer he waits, the more likely his condition will get worse and no longer qualifyfor surgery, she said. Doctors have said his chances are good if they act quickly, she said.

“We’ve served this community and now we are kind of crying out for help,” said Marietta Clardy. “Time is of the essence for Je◊.”

The couple has been married for nearly 29 years and are expecting their sixth grandchild any day. They met at the Mission Boulevard Baptist Church in Fayetteville, where her father, Brian Disney, is pastor.

Disney said that he’s been impressed with Clardy’s work ethic, good judgment and character. Clardy volunteered for several years as a youth pastor at the church and now serves as deacon, Disney said.

“He turned out to be a great young man, Disney said. “He’s very reliable, steady and a good craftsman.”

Clardy said his three sons - Steven, Joshua and Andrew - have all stepped up to help run the Fayetteville store during this time of need. Steven quit his job to take over the Fayetteville business and Andrew has been helping in Fayetteville after closing the Clardy’s Shoe Shoppe in Bentonville for the day, he said.

News, Pages 1 on 11/05/2009

Comments

To report abuse or misuse of this area please hit the "Suggest Removal" link in the comment to alert our online managers. Please read our comment policy.

Do you know the name of the insurance company which will not pay for Clardy's medicine?

Posted by: Christopher_Spencer

November 5, 2009 at 11:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

How could we make a donation? Is there a fund raiser being organized?

Posted by: tjulius01171051

November 5, 2009 at 2:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

YES! You can donate. Go to any First Security Bank and tell them you would like to donate to "Jeff Clardy's heart fund" They will know what to do from there. I am a personal friend of the Clardy family as many people in the area are, and I will tell you there is no more deserving man. He plays an important role in so many people's lives.

Posted by: dbf2026

November 5, 2009 at 6:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )