On Monday, Oct. 12, Lisa Brown’s two-bedroom apartment off of Alexander Street was mostly packed for a move two days later. A pile of brown cardboard boxes were stacked in the corner. The living room furniture had been stowed away, save for an entertainment set and two worn chairs. Lisa Brown’s 12-year-old daughter, Haley Brown, sat in one, swinging her legs over the arm and laughing at the Facebook messages her friends had sent her.
She was in high spirits for being three days away from an extensive heart surgery.
Surgery that, if put off for too long, could have fatal results.
RACING HEART
One month prior, Haley had just started seventh grade at Tomlin Middle School, and Lisa Brown had started a second job working in the cafeteria at Tomlin.
On the second day of school, Haley went to see her mom in the cafeteria. Haley’s heart was beating rapidly — so rapidly that her mom could see it rising up and down in her chest.
“She wasn’t doing anything,” Lisa Brown said. “She was just standing.”
Lisa Brown rushed Haley to the hospital, where doctors stopped her heart for 45 seconds to bring it to a normal rate.
Doctors discovered that Haley has paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, a condition that causes the sudden onset of a fast heartbeat.
Haley has two extra heart valves — one is embedded in her heart, and the other is protruding out of the right side — causing blood to pump at twice the rate it should be pumping.
As she gets older, the condition has the potential to worsen.
The news is bad, but it doesn’t come as a total shock to Lisa Brown. She has known that something was wrong with Haley’s heart since her daughter was a toddler. Doctors had never been able to pinpoint a problem.
“They could not find anything,” Lisa Brown said.
After Haley’s heart was temporarily stopped, she missed some school but went back before her scheduled surgery date. Because Lisa Brown needed to stay with her daughter when possible, Tomlin Middle School let her go to fill the immediate cafeteria position.
She was also let go from her other job as a waitress a few days later.
“I had two jobs,” Lisa Brown said. “It went down to nothing within a week. I’ve applied to different schools, but I haven’t heard anything. I have applications everywhere.”
BIG HEART
With the recent loss of both of her jobs, Lisa Brown is in a tough situation. She had to be out of her apartment by Oct. 14, the day before Haley’s heart surgery. To avoid an official eviction notice, she must pay $1,880 in move-out fees.
As Lisa Brown looks for a place within her price range and a new job, she and Haley will stay with her mom in Zephyrhills for two weeks. Her mom lives in a 55-plus retirement community, making Lisa and Haley’s stay limited.
“We haven’t found a place yet,” Lisa Brown said. “I guess within that two weeks I have to figure something out.”
Lisa Brown has applied for Section 8 housing, but is currently on a waiting list in Plant City. She is looking into Pasco County. Homes that she has looked into are either out of her price range or unsuitable for her and her daughter to live in. Many are filled with mold or have front stoops made of rotting wood. Lisa Brown said if it was just her, she’d figure something out. But, as always, she’s thinking of Haley.
A GoFundMe account has been set up for the family.
“I’ve never asked for help. Ever. From anybody,” Lisa Brown said. “We were completely fine before I lost my jobs.”
Prior to September, Lisa Brown had never been late on her rent payments. She had just signed up Haley for cheer for the school year, a sport she’s loved since the age of three.
“Now all of that just came to a halt,” Lisa Brown said. “I’ve been pretty much at Haley’s school every single day. Every day it’s just something new. If I don’t laugh, I’ll break down.”
To keep the family together, she’s even sold her bed for grocery money. Despite the hardships, there is one thing that keeps her going: her daughter.
LOVING HEART
The Monday before her surgery, Haley was happy. She bounded from one end of the apartment to the other, showing funny videos to her mom and cuddling with Loki, her cat. She pointed proudly to her cheerleading awards and detailed the win behind each one before jumping to the next topic of conversation: YouTube tutorials about how to make fake slime and fake blood.
Haley has remained in high spirits through the hardship, but her mom has heard her take blame for the unavoidable situation more than once.
“I’ve heard her say it’s her fault,” Lisa Brown said. “I hate that. She’s been really sweet. Every time she walks away she says, ‘I love you, Mom.’”
Haley’s surgery on Oct. 15 was successful. It took three hours longer than expected, but doctors were able to close one of her heart valves. As Haley continues to recover, it will be determined at a later date if she will need another surgery or not.
But the family’s rough patch is far from over as they still search for a home. With Haley’s loving heart, Lisa Brown is determined to find one.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
TO DONATE
GoFundMe: GoFundMe.com/8c5ftxdw