You’ll have to forgive Kevin and Kelly Spencer if they don’t get overly excited about Valentine’s Day.

The heart as a symbol of love pales in comparison to its primary, life-giving function, especially when each day is spent waiting for a healthy, fully functioning one.

The Kingwood couple’s lives have been put on hold as Kevin waits for his second transplant heart. Meanwhile, a never-ending stream of medical bills seems to have taken on a life of its own, and the projected $750,000-plus cost of a transplant looms.

Spencer’s declining health has prevented him from working for the past year, adding to his family’s financial strain.

To help alleviate some of these financial burdens, the couple has turned to the National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) for assistance. NFT is a nonprofit organization based in Memphis, Tenn., that helps patients raise funds to pay for transplant-related expenses.

Volunteers are planning a fundraiser lunch Feb. 6 at Texas Roadhouse, 23750 U.S. 59 N. in Kingwood. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the restaurant will donate 10 percent of all sales to NFT in Spencer’s honor.

“We’re still hassling over a lot of bills from last year,” said Kelly. “Having the NFT involved is providing a little more peace of mind.”

For Kevin, heart issues have been a lifelong struggle. He was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect days after he was born. Between the ages of 5 and 23, he had five heart procedures done at Texas Children’s Hospital.

In the earliest years, Kevin recalls that the hospital was a low-slung, three-story building. “From my window, I could see the roof girders at the Astrodome going up,” he says. “I feel like I was born and raised in the Texas Medical Center.”

A meticulously kept scrapbook of his experiences show detailed medical records and a photo of famed heart surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley autographing one of his stuffed animals.

Spencer had no significant symptoms again until he was in his late 30s. In 1992, Spencer received his first heart transplant and then spent several years without major health issues.

In 2008, he again began feeling weak, and told doctors, “I’m getting feelings of deja vue.” Spencer was diagnosed with coronary artery vasculopathy, and eventually had to leave his job as an aircraft mechanic. Spencer’s name was put on a heart transplant list.

Many things have changed since his first transplant in 1992. Transplants are more expensive, insurance rules are more complicated, and the decision about who gets the all-important call when an organ becomes available is left up to a computer. Blood and tissue type, and the size of the heart are constant, all-important factors.

In a best-case scenario, Spencer will receive a transplant before he becomes more ill. He will require follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications that can range from $2,000 to $5,000 per month.

Meanwhile, Spencer, a grandfather and father of three, is doing what he’s done most of his life – waiting for a procedure he hopes will bring better health.

“Kevin is an incredibly patient man,” Kelly says.

Friends at church have staged other fund-raisers and offered household help and moral support. They also put up with Kevin’s attempts at humor: “How are you doing?” someone will ask. “I’m not real good, not too bad,” Kevin will say. “I guess you could say I was flat-lining.”

Life goes on, even when you’re waiting. Some day Kevin's buzzer will go off with a message to get to the Texas Medical Center within the hour. Then he and his family will have a new all-important holiday to celebrate.

For more information about the Spencer family fundraiser, contact Cheryl Willingham at 713-858-4053 or cheryl.willingham@att.net. Customers must present a flyer to ensure the proceeds benefit Spencer.

To make a tax-deductible donation in honor of Spencer, send a contribution to the NFT Texas Heart Fund, 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Write "in honor of Kevin Spencer" on the memo line. Secure donations also can be made online at www.transplants.org.