Help Blaine Jennings Get a Life-Saving Heart
Story
The family of Blaine Jennings (Rison, AR; Port Lavaca, TX; Victoria, TX; Moscow, ID) and Debbie Jennings (Port Lavaca, TX and Moscow, ID) asks for your prayers, positive thoughts, and support as Blaine prepares to receive a heart transplant in the coming weeks/months.
Blaine’s Story:
Blaine is 56 years old (born December 24, 1968). When Blaine was eleven years old, he was diagnosed with Type I Juvenile Diabetes (genetic). Blaine has managed his diabetes successfully for the past 45 years. However, three years ago, Blaine discovered the true toll that diabetes has taken on his body—especially his heart.
In 2022, Blaine was informed he had partial blockages in two of his aortic arteries (ultimately as a result of lifelong diabetes). He was scheduled for stents to open the arteries. When the doctors went in to place the stents, they learned the situation was far more serious than they originally thought. Four of his arteries were almost completely blocked, and Blaine needed emergency open-heart surgery. In July 2022, Blaine received a quadruple bypass surgery in Victoria, TX. After the surgery, Blaine resumed his daily life but with some lasting effects of the heart surgery (shortness of breath, dramatic weight loss, etc.).
Blaine retired in 2024 after 30 years at Inteplast Group in Lolita, TX. Blaine and Debbie moved to Moscow, Idaho, in April 2024 to be near Blaine’s mom, Susan, and sister, Ashley. For approximately one year, Blaine and Debbie acclimated to the northwest lifestyle (fishing, hunting turkeys, paddle boarding, rafting).
Then, on February 6, 2025, Blaine went into cardiac arrest, passing out on his sister’s driveway. Blaine lost consciousness in a public place, and bystanders were able to respond quickly. Law enforcement officers performed CPR and brought Blaine back to life. MPD Officer Jeremiah Laney received a Life Saving Award for his efforts that day. Blaine’s heart would stop another eight times over the next few hours. Doctors have described Blaine’s will to live as nothing short of miraculous. Blaine was life-flighted to St. Joe’s Hospital in Lewiston, ID, where he remained in the ICU for the next twelve days. A pacemaker/defibrillator was installed on Blaine’s heart. Blaine slowly recovered, battling pneumonia, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
Blaine learned that three of his arteries had completely collapsed, and only one artery was open but with an 80% blockage. Blaine’s day-to-day has been seriously impacted. He can no longer live the active life he has known for 56 years. Doctors considered stents or another bypass surgery. Unfortunately, doctors ran into a complication. X-rays showed that the metal prongs from the 2022 bypass were left in Blaine’s heart (preventing MRI scans). As a result, doctors cannot get an accurate scan of Blaine’s heart to assess what can be done (i.e., stent or bypass). But there was a silver lining: doctors determined that Blaine is an excellent candidate for a heart transplant. The nearest heart transplant center is in Seattle, WA (approximately 6 hours from Moscow). Approximately 90 heart transplants are conducted every year at the hospital Blaine is scheduled to be admitted with promising success rates.
On May 21, 2025, Blaine suffered from another cardiac episode. Again, Blaine went down in a public setting, and emergency responders were quick to get Blaine to the ER. At the ER, Blaine’s heart stopped, but he was brought back. Blaine was life-flighted to Coeur D’Alene and subsequently released. This episode accelerated his placement on the heart transplant list. Blaine and Debbie are preparing to move to Seattle, where Blaine will be admitted into a heart transplant hospital and wait for a new heart.
A new heart means a new life for Blaine and Debbie. However, this incredibly exciting opportunity does not come without financial stress. Blaine (and Debbie) will have to live in Seattle before, during, and after the transplant for an unknown period of time. After the February incident, Debbie had to take a leave of absence from her job to stay with Blaine. The transplant itself is estimated to cost over three million dollars (how much Blaine will be responsible for is still unknown). In the immediate future, Blaine and Debbie face several financial costs. As a result, we are setting up this page for any individuals who would like to donate to Blaine and Debbie. The money raised will go towards Blaine’s out-of-network deductible costs (18,000), non-covered costs, and travel and lodging while in Seattle, WA.
For those of you interested, we will keep you posted on the progress.
If you are not in a position to give financially, we appreciate your prayers, good thoughts, and well wishes as Blaine and his loved ones prepare for this journey. Thank you in advance.
Organizers :
Ashley Jennings is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Blaine Jennings.