By Paige Gurgainers There will be a beneficiary golf tournament supporting the family of Greg Case held on September 21 at Pine Hills Country Club.
Webster Parish native Greg Case has overcome many medical obstacles since his birth in 1983, but his fight is not over yet and the family is asking for the community to rally behind him and his family during this time.
Case was born with what the doctors believed to be a heart murmur, which unfortunately is very common and usually resolve themselves. But at the age of two, he was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension.
“During this time in the mid 80s there had not been a lot of research done on this issue and there was no definite cure,” said Case’s sister Heather.
Things seemed daunting until Case was later transferred to Texas Children’s Medical Center in Houston by Dr. Charles Mullins.
“Dr. Mullins had begun experimenting with finding a treatment with dogs using stents to open pulmonary arteries,” explained Heather. “After examining Greg’s case files, they asked permission to use them to have the procedure approved for humans.”
During this time Case received a heart catheterization along with numerous other invasive tests, but ultimately had to bide their time waiting for the approval.
That time came in March of 1991. The medical center reached out to Case’s parents to ask permission to perform an experimental stent replacement in both his left and right pulmonary arteries. Ultimately, the procedure was a success, but during the procedure they discovered that all his veins, vessels and arteries leading to and from his heart were abnormally small.
This did well for many years. Case kept up with follow-up visits and his yearly check-ups with the cardiologist until he was 16. Afterall, his prognosis for living a full and mostly healthy life was limited to about 17 years of age. He was repeatedly told he would not be able to participate in contact sports, so in high school Case played baseball and competed in powerlifting.
Into his adulthood, he worked physically demanding jobs in the oil industry until 2017, when he was no longer able to pass the lung functioning test required before hiring to a new position.
It was then determined Case would need to undergo a bilateral lung transplant.
“He began seeing a team of specialists in New Orleans and began a strict medication regimen, which did wonders until this past October,” explained Heather. “Greg became ill and after a visit to a hospital emergency room, he learned he was not only suffering from lung failure, but heart failure, too.”
Due to the growingly more complicated case, his team in New Orleans were no longer able to treat him. Case now needed both a lung and heart transplant. As time progressed, his liver was adversely affected to the point of cirrhosis.
As one could imagine, he could no longer work; however, he did have short-term and long-term disability plans with his employer that could help with his family’s finances.
“That helps so much, but it won’t touch what a household of five needs. Not to mention the expenses that come with traveling back and forth to Houston Medical Center, who finally accepted his case,” Heather said.
Currently, Case’s diagnosis includes right ventricular failure, supra valvular aortic stenosis, pulmonary HTN, hypertension, and lung failure. His O2 levels are 88 on 2.5/3 liters of oxygen sitting and when up walking, they drop into the low 70’s and upper 60’s.
“He is now on oxygen almost 24 hours a day. His lung transplants have been approved, and he is awaiting the determination on whether his heart will be done at the same time if needed,” said Heather.
Case and his wife have three young boys. He serves as a leader in his church and community. The money raised from this tournament could help alleviate a lot of their stresses and worries during this time.
For those interested in sponsoring or signing up to participate, please contact Heather Case at 318-268-1015.