Ridgefield teacher awaits heart transplant

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RIDGEFIELD – At first, Bob Meek simply felt tired most of the time.

“I had started running, but I could never progress,” he said.

He consulted doctors when the condition persisted, but they couldn’t find a cause. Until an MRI showed an enlarged heart that requires a transplant.

That was about two and a half years ago and the situation hasn’t improved. Now the Ridgefield High School teacher is on a waiting list for a new heart. There’s no assurance when one will be available.

“The only treatment is transplant,” said the 39-year-old Meek.

He’s been able to continue teaching, but will be going into Oregon Health and Science University in the next couple of weeks so doctors can give him stronger doses of medication and monitor his response. He anticipates being hospitalized a week or more and, while he has medical insurance through the school district, the bills are piling up.

There also will be expenses for caregivers and transportation.

Community members can help by attending a fundraising variety show at the high school auditorium on Sat., Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. Professional and amateur performers will entertain. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for students, with both prices increasing by $5 on the day of the show.

Tickets are tax deductible. People can also donate by going to www.transplants.org and searching for Bob Meek in Washington. Money donated will be handled by the National Foundation for Transplants.

Meek has been on the transplant list for 18 months. During that time, he’s been able to maintain a cheerful attitude with no anger about his situation.

“To me, it’s how I prepare for what’s ahead,” he said. “Worrying about it won’t make it not exist. At first you’re just processing the news.”

Meek and his wife, Liza, have been married 15 years. Their children are Nolan, 9; Lilly, 7; and Harrison, 2.

“They don’t understand the physical extent of it,” Meek said, “but they know what’s going to happen. My oldest son said it’s like changing out a battery.”

There are levels of need for those needing new hearts. Those who are most critical are put in group 1A. Meek is just below that in 1B with another half dozen people. Those who are managing their condition well are classified as group 2.



The choice of recipient is made by the patient’s insurance company and the hospital where the surgery will be performed.

Several factors are involved in the decision to give a new heart, and to whom. Those include a potential recipient’s age, medical history, and whether there are family members nearby.

“They want to know that if they give a heart it will be managed by people around you,” Meek said. “They have equations and they let the computer do it. You have to take the emotions out of it.”

When a heart is available – after an automobile crash, for example – the organ is put on ice and flown to a recipient.

If and when Meek receives a transplant, he anticipates it taking one to six months to recuperate. He anticipates teaching again, saying some people have competed in endurance sports after getting a new heart.

He could benefit from either a male or female heart, he said, but it has to be the right size to fit correctly in the chest cavity.

While he’s waiting, Meek’s doctors have encouraged him to exercise as he’s able. However, the teacher said walking two miles now seems like a marathon to him.

Bob Meek Fundraiser

What: The Heart Beats Variety Show

When: 7 p.m., Sat., Feb. 7

Where: Ridgefield High School auditorium, 2630 S. Hillhurst Road

Why: To help Ridgefield teacher Bob Meek meet his medical expenses.

Admission: Adults $20, Students $15, each $5 more day of show.