Friends of David Eisermann, a special education teacher at New Hyde Park Memorial High School, held a New Hyde Park Heart Strong fundraiser on Thursday, Jan. 23 to pay for an impending $20,000 surgery in Panama in April. The event raised more than $2,300.
Eisermann was in Northern Guatemala when he contracted a virus from an ice cube in a drink that attacked his heart. The virus caused diminished heart function and Eisermann was ready to retire after he was put on a heart transplant list before he recovered.
After his twin girls were born in 2012, Eisermann’s heart crashed. He was put back on the transplant list after being diagnosed with an ejection fraction (a measurement of the blood leaving your heart each time it contracts) of 30 percent. Fifty-five percent is the norm, according to Eisermann. If it dipped any lower, it could be fatal.
Three of Eisermann’s students, Kevin Klimas, Joe Finamore and Brett Baker, held a Shave-a-Thon benefit for their teacher and coach in November, having local hair stylists from the Cuttin Club in Williston Park shave heads in tribute.
A gofundme site, a personal online fundraising website for individuals, groups and organizations, has raised more than $10,000. To donate to Eisermann, go to www.gofundme.com/383dw4
