HOLLAND, Mich. — A Holland native who received the gift of life, now is fighting for his life.
Lance Mokma received a heart and liver transplant earlier this month but is recovering at the hospital now with even more health issues.
Back in Holland, his family, friends and community members are making sure Mokma knows he has their support.
“He is the most humble and generous, kind, goofy guy out there. He is such a sweet soul. He’s phenomenal. He’s a good brother,” Lance’s sister Melanie Ensing told FOX 17 Tuesday.
She says her brother was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at just two-years-old and has had to undergo open heart surgery.
“That gave him a much better quality of life and then, you know, childhood, adolescence, he was pretty well off. His health was pretty decent. He had a great childhood,” Ensing added.
However, during his college years, Lance’s health scares returned. Ensing says she and her siblings, who were in high school at the time, had to rush him to the hospital many times.
“We’d run into the van and we’d drive as fast as we could to the hospital and that’s where he would get defibrillated. And had had that often, like a couple times a month,” she said.
Now, Mokma is 34-years-old, and recently was told he needs a heart and liver transplant. He had to move to Philadelphia and wait nine months for a life-changing gift, which he received on June 16.
But the quality of life he was hoping would improve, has worsened.
“He’s in critical condition. He’s on three different blood pressure medications to try to kind of even things out. I believe he has a balloon on his heart to help. There’s so much stuff. His left leg, they don’t think he’ll ever be able to use his left leg ever again,” said Ensing.
Mokma’s heart is functioning at 20%. Doctors say it should be at 60%.
They’re watching him closely and, Ensing says, hoping for a miracle.
Lance’s family hasn’t seen him in more than a year due to COVID-19 restrictions and health precautions.
Meanwhile, Ensing says her brother has yet to meet his 9-month-old nephew and newborn niece.
“He would be the best uncle to him. He always talks about how he can’t wait to meet them and hold them,” Ensing said.
Lance’s family says they refuse to give up hope. A family friend created a GoFundMe page that’s getting an overwhelming amount of support from the Holland community.
“We don’t want to have to use it. It’s one of those things where any little bit will help because this is going to be a very grueling journey. It’s going to be long, but we’re in it for the long haul. As our family says, we’re all in,” Ensing added.
The community will host a benefit dinner for Lance at Crazy Horse in Holland on July 12.
According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, there are more than 106,000 people on the National Transplant Waiting List.
Also, the administration says 17 people die each day, while waiting for an organ transplant.
In 2021, there were more than 9,200 liver and more than 3,800 heart transplants performed.
To register to become an organ donor, click here.
