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Stuart man seeks community's help following battle with heart condition

Posted at 12:46 PM, Nov 30, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-30 17:31:10-05

A South Florida man's life is about to change forever, following a grueling battle with a heart condition.

Charlie Nemitz of Stuart was 43 when a virus attacked his heart five years ago.

"My left ventricle collapsed," Nemitz told WPTV on Friday. "I was going to need a heart transplant immediately."

He was approved for a heart transplant in 2014, but has been on a waiting list since then.

"I'm dealing with it the best I can," Nemitz said.

A few weeks ago, Nemitz thought he was going to get that life-changing transplant, but the heart turned out to be from a heroin user and was unusable.

Nemitz is now at the top of the heart transplant list at the University of Florida Health Shands Transplant Center in Gainesville, but he still needs the community's help.

Nemitz, along with his family and friends, are hosting a fundraiser this weekend to help with Charlie's care after the transplant, as well as medications.

"Definitely for the anti-rejection medicine," said Dan Nemitz, Charlier's brother. "Anti-rejection medicine is very expensive."

"I am beyond humbled in the amount of friends that have come out in support of me throughout the years," Nemitz told WPTV on Friday. "Not only helping me throughout the years, but also right now with the fundraiser they're doing for me. I've seen so many friends step forward to help out with donations and volunteering. Let alone people that I've never met before that have heard about this and they want to be apart of it."

Nemitz is just waiting for that one phone call that he has a donor.

"God is going to take care of me when it's my time," Nemitz said. "He's going to knock on my door and say, hey kid, I've got a present for you."

There will be a "Kickstart Charlie's Heart" fundraiser this weekend.

Kickstart Charlie's Heart

  • Sunday, Dec. 2
  • 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  • Martin County Fairgrounds
  • 2616 SE Dixie Highway in Stuart

To donate to Charlie's recovery, click here.