Jeff Whitman Hopes for Return to East Meadow

Jeff Whitman continues to be in poor physical condition, but he hopes to soon return to East Meadow to be closer to his friends.

Whitman, a graduate of in 1984, has suffered repeated medical setbacks. He has been affected by heart ailments since childbirth, and after coping for a long time, he eventually needed a pacemaker.

"He is, and always has been, a great guy, a good soul," former EMHS classmate Patti Kutil said. "Unfortunately, he is not well."

It was when the pacemaker battery needed to be changed on Whitman's pacemaker that another problem arose. During the procedure, Whitman's heart was punctured and the operation had to be suspended.

Since 2005, Whitman's life has been a series of complications. He suffers from Cardiomyopathy and Congenital Heart Disease, and it was determined that he will need a heart transplant to stay alive. In the past two years, Whitman lost his father, his wife to colon cancer, and most recently his mother. Now he is confined to Manor Care Rehab Facility in Yardley, PA, and he is on a LVAD that keeps him alive.

"For the most part, he's kind of at a crossroads," Denise Pascalis, another former classmate of Whitman said. "We're still working on his quest to get on a heart transplant list."

Whitman's new goal is to come back to Long Island.

"I am in the process of returning to [New York] to hopefully receive a heart transplant," Whitman said. "In the meantime, I am talking with my friends and drumming up their support for which I will need after my transplant. This is critical for the transplant to succeed, I will need as much help as possible from my friends during a year-long process of weekly doctor visits to check on the status of the new heart."

If you would like to give Whitman a call, the number is 215-369-7357, or you can send cards to:

Manor Care Rehab

1480 Oxford Valley Road

Yardley, PA 19067