July 23.indd

Health
Former athlete battles
‘racing heart’ disease
coverage. She does not have a
By Forrest Hershberger
parent who can provide her with
News Editor
Brandi Kumm is spending medical insurance, although she
her 19th year of life working with would be eligible.
Klumm has been denied
doctors, trying to work through a
diagnosis that could change the Medicaid, and she became a legal
adult before open enrollment of
way she lives.
In many ways, it already has the Affordable Care Act closed this
changed her. She has gone from spring.
However, she was not aware
an energetic, athletic teenager
to a young woman who has to of what that meant, according to
manager her stress level closely. her page on the gofundme.com
Too much excitement and her website, and is not covered.
She is eligible for the next
already-elevated heart rate could
enrollment period, but that does not
be fatal.
Tachycardia,
according
to start until November and coverage
begins
in
the Mayo Clinic
January 2015.
website, is a fasKlumm said
ter than normal
health insurheart rate at rest.
ance will not
The site says,
cover
her
“Heart rate is conheart condition
trolled by electrical
because it is
signals sent across
a pre-existing
heart tissues. Taccondition.
hycardia occurs
Brandi
is
when an abnormalso seeking
ality in the heart
employment,
produces
rapid
hopefully at a
electrical signals.”
job with stress
Tachycardia can
conducive
increase the risk
to her heart
of stroke or cause
Brandi Kumm
condition.
sudden
cardiac
arrest or death.
Fundraising efforts are in place
It is a big change. Prior to her to support Brandi Kumm.
diagnosis, she was normal in
Donations can be made in
every sense of the word.
Brandi’s name to Security First
“I ran cross country in high Bank, Attn: Ashley Kennedy, P.O.
school. I was athletic,” Kumm said. Box 137, Sidney, Neb. 69162.
“Now, I can’t run a couple feet with
The family also hopes to have
out my heart rate rising.”
a dinner and auction to support
She is diagnosed with Right Brandi.
Ventricular
Outflow
Tract
Contact Ashley Kennedy at
Tachycardia. It is a disease of the the Support for Brandi Facebook
page or at 970-580-5039 for more
heart that affects the heart rate.
When she was first diagnosed, information or to donate to the
the symptoms were managed auction and dinner.
with medication, she says. Then
the conditions got worse and she
has made trips from her home in
Paxton, Neb., to medical facilities
in Colorado’s Front Range; one of
the visits resulted in surgery and
an $80,000 bill.
She born in Greeley and lived in
Sterling through the sixth grade.
Since then she moved to Paxton,
Neb. where she graduated high
school.
Klumm enrolled in Chadron
State College and was focused on
being the first college graduate of
her family. She planned to major in
psychology.
That all changed with the
diagnosis. Her condition has
escalated to doctors discussing
open-heart surgery in August.
More tests will be done before that
decision is made, she said. The
illness caused her to fall behind
in her college studies and she
dropped out.
Meanwhile, she is in an
unanticipated gap in insurance
South Platte Sentinel
Wednesday, July 23, 2014 Page 29
On a hot Sun., July 20, friends and family of Mary Goff, (front row left) gathered in Washington Park in Denver
and joined over 4,000 participants in a 5K Run/Walk to honor those who have given the gift of life, celebrate
those who have received the gift of life and to recognize those still waiting for an organ donor transplant. Goff,
herself the recipient of a new heart, and members of “Mary’s Heartthrobs” including Goff's brother Joe Dolan
(second from right) who also suffers from major heart disease, were paying their support forward for Dolan,
Cody Waitley of Sterling who awaits a heart transplant, and also to Ray Rossi and Lisa Young, both in need
of kidney transplants. The team was also honoring the organ donation of the late Ken Smith, of Fleming, and
other local donors. Among partipants in Denver were (left photo) 91-yearold Mary May holding three-week old Ella Barnes, the daughter of Lacey
and Brandon Barnes and sister of Brody who were also in attendance as
were: Karen Naibauer; Sue and Jeff Herzog; Rex May; Beverly Coleman;
Lori May; Chris Barger; Sandy Dolan; Marc Dolan; LaRaye Harvey; Luke
Dolan; Michelle, Erin, Maggie and Grant Rossman; Gordon Goff; John and
Janna Korrey; Mike, Heidi, Taylor and Parker Tribbett; Fred and Donna
Hacker; Elaine Accomasso Martinelli, Gary Grover; and Drs. Ray and Lori
Rossi. Also supporting the efforts (but not pictured) were Gloria Fritzler,
Judy Long, Peggy Gerk, Don and Barb Korrey, the Jim Korrey Family,
Connie Clark, the Gary Magnuson Family, Julie Murphy, Kay and Fran
Morison, the Mike Naibauer Family, Cody and Diane Craven, Alec and
Ashley Smith, the Curt and Joy Batt Family, and Ken and Delinda Korrey
McDowell. For more information about making a financial donation or on
becoming an organ donor, people may call the Donor Alliance at 303-3294747 or 1-888-868-4747. (Courtesy Photos.)
Please take notice that the
Logan County Water Conservancy District
will accept applications for appointment
to its Board of Directors.
To be considered, you must have resided
within Logan County for one year.
A resume setting forth your
qualifications to serve should be sent to
Logan County Water
Conservancy District
c/o Wright & Williamson LLC
214 Poplar Street, Second Floor
Sterling, CO 80751
Korf
Dick Stull Me morial
nts
PRCA Rodeo
prese
Thursday, August 7
&
Friday, August 8
7 p.m.
Don’t Miss
Out on the
Antics of
Leon Coffee!
LCFair.org