I have a dear friend Brent Kinner who lives in Miamisburg, OH who has undergone two open heart surgeries on his tricuspid heart valve. The first in late 2018 was a patch that was directed by Dr. Peter M. Pavlina and his team of surgeons at Kettering hospital in Dayton, Ohio. The patch was supposed to last longer than the five months it did. Upon the patch failing in 2019, he had his second open heart surgery and he had a pig valve tricuspid valve replacement. This operation was completed at Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus, Ohio by Dr. Nahush Mokadam, MD and his team of surgeons. 

Now in the second quarter of 2022 he has been informed his tricuspid pig valve is in total failure and that his heart is operating at 75 percent valve capacity with two inlet valves and one outlet valve. The tricuspid valve should have lasted six to eight years but has only managed to function for three before failing. 

The cardio-thoracic surgical team in Kettering, OH has denied him access to heart surgery, informing him that “they weren’t going to waste their time and resources on his case”. I cannot believe the complete disregard for human life that this surgeon approached Brent with. 

Because of the valve failure, Brent has to visit the doctor once a month to have fluid drained from his liver. His last drain was 7.1 liters of fluid, almost 2 gallons of fluid built up in a month because of an inoperable heart valve and the surgeons at Kettering Hospital are refusing him surgery until he can have verifiable proof that Brent has been clean and sober for six continuous months. He was informed this on Tuesday, April 26th 2022.

The reality is that Brent has been clean and sober since November 13th of 2021 and I fear that prolonging this much needed operation any longer could be fatal for him. By the doctor’s requirements of six continuous months sobriety then he should be able to have surgery by May 13, 2022. That isn’t the case as Brent lost access to his records in a divorce battle and currently doesn’t have any verifiable proof.

Brent has 57,000 subscribers on the social app TikTok that can bear witness to his time in recovery and confirm of his almost six continuous months recovery. I have followed his recovery journey for almost two years and have witnessed the steps Brent has taken to improve the quality of his and his daughter, Avery’s life. He has been in recovery for the majority of it minus a lapse in early November of 2021. The same doctor who told him “they weren’t going to waste their time and resources on his case” is part of the surgical team who placed the patch on his first open heart surgery. 

Could you imagine a doctor from your open heart surgery team audibly telling you that your life isn’t worth it?! This is beyond appalling and I insist this doctor be held accountable for his verbiage and request the team give him a recommend to undergo heart valve replacement. 

Brent has limited resources as he lives in an area that has economically been forgotten since the vehicle manufacturing boom of the mid 1900s. He is taking the steps to recover his drivers license so he can gain reliable transportation. However, he doesn’t have any local help. Time is not on Brent’s side, but I know of atleast 57,000 people that are and I am petitioning the medical community to allow Brent to undergo another tricuspid valve transplant as soon as possible. 

This is something I am incredibly passionate about as Brent is one of my best friends and we have gotten really close the past two years. I don’t have any pull in the medical community but it is my hope and prayer that someone who has leverage in the field will come across this petition and feel enough compassion to make some calls. 

Avery needs her dad. He is her source of light and he has so much love for her. I couldn’t imagine her grief if she knew her dad passed knowing there was more that could have been done to help him in his fight for life. Brent is Avery’s only surviving parent.

Thank you so much <3

Bobby Opp