Breath of Life For Damian
Donation protected
Dear Friends, Family and Community,
Damian Fulcher is a loving and devoted husband, father, step-father, Pop Pop, friend and all around wonderful man.
On December 22, 2017 Damian had gone in for a lung biopsy and he was told he would return to work within 2-3 weeks. Never did he think that would be the last day he would work.
Damian found out in January 2018 that he had a terminal lung disease called Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. IPF is a scarring of the lungs which, overtime, gets worse and makes it difficult to take a deep breath. This causes a decrease in oxygen to the body and gradually causes the person to stop breathing.
When Damian first went in for the biopsy, his daughter Amanda was just finishing her first semester in college. When the news of his diagnosis broke, it was difficult for her to be away from home knowing how ill her father was. He had played such an active role in her life, including being her soccer coach throughout her childhood, so to see the decline in his health was devastating to the family and herself. At home, Damian has two other children, Jake and Trevor. Jake was in the midst of his Senior year when the medical crisis began and Trevor was only a Sophomore. The two boys witnessed first hand how quickly the disease acts and the struggle their father faced just to breathe and perform other ordinary tasks. His other son, Aaron, blessed the family with Damian and Veronica’s first grandchild, Justin. His devoted wife, Veronica, has been alongside Damian every step of the way. She has done an incredible job at caring for Damian while also encouraging their children to lead their normal lives.
Both Damian and Veronica did not want his disease to become their kid’s lives and as a family friend, I have been a witness to the strength, courage and fortitude among all of them. I have known the family for 16 years and have seen firsthand the generosity of the Fulcher family. Whenever anyone has been in need, the first thing they ask is how they can help. But now, they are greatly in need of our help.
The life expectancy of someone with IPF is 3-5 years depending on how quickly the disease progresses. There are 3 ways IPF can go: 1) If caught in time they can try to slow down the progression with medication and the person can be put on oxygen to help sustain life. 2) The person gets tested to see if they qualify for a lung transplant. And 3) The person dies from lack of oxygen. It’s frightening to think that the involuntary act of breathing is something that has become a chore and a challenge for Damian.
Damian, in just one day, went from a hard working family man to not being able to work at all. He went from doing everything himself to having to rely on his family for everyday, simple chores. Taking a shower, getting dressed, climbing the stairs are all things that have become so difficult and cause him to fight for breath. His life was truly changed in the blink of an eye.
Damian had gotten a small cold in the beginning of December 2018 that escalated him to rely on oxygen to breathe 24 hours a day. By the end of December 2018, Damian was told that he had to be tested to see if he would qualify for a lung transplant. After a rush to have every test done he was officially listed for transplant on January 30, 2019. But, during that short period of time, his condition dramatically worsened.
Damian had applied for Social Security Disability in June of 2018 but he was denied. He filed his appeal and was denied for the second time. It states in the Social Security Disability that LUNG DISEASE is one that should be approved immediately, especially without a transplant because IPF leads to death. Damian had to retain an attorney to fight this but in the meantime, his family had been left with the financial burden of having to live off what little savings they had for a year and a half.
On July 2, 2019 Damian received the call that they had a potential donor. Damian was blessed with a new lung. Never did Damian or Veronica think that he would get a new lung before he would get his Social Security Disability.
Veronica has been a stay at home mom. She was more than willing to get a job but was told by the transplant team that she wouldn’t be able to do so at the time because she is Damian’s main caregiver. Damian is required to go each week into the city to meet with his transplant doctor, and for bloodwork and testing to make sure everything is going well. Along with the expense of having one child in college, every trip into the city with gas, tolls, and the actual doctor’s appointments and tests runs them $125-175 a week.
Damian is on a total of 17 prescriptions which is a whopping total of 28 pills a day. The medication is required to stop any kind of rejection that his body may have towards his new lung.
Damian can’t be around crowds, or anyone who may be sick because he could end up extremely ill and end up back in the hospital.
Unfortunately, even with all the precautions, Damian has gotten a slight infection and fluid in his new lung. They are working hard to preserve the transplant lung, between medication and the procedure he will be undergoing to have the fluid removed this week in the hopes it doesn’t come back.
I am hoping that our community can come together and help this deserving family in their time of need.
Damian Fulcher is a loving and devoted husband, father, step-father, Pop Pop, friend and all around wonderful man.
On December 22, 2017 Damian had gone in for a lung biopsy and he was told he would return to work within 2-3 weeks. Never did he think that would be the last day he would work.
Damian found out in January 2018 that he had a terminal lung disease called Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. IPF is a scarring of the lungs which, overtime, gets worse and makes it difficult to take a deep breath. This causes a decrease in oxygen to the body and gradually causes the person to stop breathing.
When Damian first went in for the biopsy, his daughter Amanda was just finishing her first semester in college. When the news of his diagnosis broke, it was difficult for her to be away from home knowing how ill her father was. He had played such an active role in her life, including being her soccer coach throughout her childhood, so to see the decline in his health was devastating to the family and herself. At home, Damian has two other children, Jake and Trevor. Jake was in the midst of his Senior year when the medical crisis began and Trevor was only a Sophomore. The two boys witnessed first hand how quickly the disease acts and the struggle their father faced just to breathe and perform other ordinary tasks. His other son, Aaron, blessed the family with Damian and Veronica’s first grandchild, Justin. His devoted wife, Veronica, has been alongside Damian every step of the way. She has done an incredible job at caring for Damian while also encouraging their children to lead their normal lives.
Both Damian and Veronica did not want his disease to become their kid’s lives and as a family friend, I have been a witness to the strength, courage and fortitude among all of them. I have known the family for 16 years and have seen firsthand the generosity of the Fulcher family. Whenever anyone has been in need, the first thing they ask is how they can help. But now, they are greatly in need of our help.
The life expectancy of someone with IPF is 3-5 years depending on how quickly the disease progresses. There are 3 ways IPF can go: 1) If caught in time they can try to slow down the progression with medication and the person can be put on oxygen to help sustain life. 2) The person gets tested to see if they qualify for a lung transplant. And 3) The person dies from lack of oxygen. It’s frightening to think that the involuntary act of breathing is something that has become a chore and a challenge for Damian.
Damian, in just one day, went from a hard working family man to not being able to work at all. He went from doing everything himself to having to rely on his family for everyday, simple chores. Taking a shower, getting dressed, climbing the stairs are all things that have become so difficult and cause him to fight for breath. His life was truly changed in the blink of an eye.
Damian had gotten a small cold in the beginning of December 2018 that escalated him to rely on oxygen to breathe 24 hours a day. By the end of December 2018, Damian was told that he had to be tested to see if he would qualify for a lung transplant. After a rush to have every test done he was officially listed for transplant on January 30, 2019. But, during that short period of time, his condition dramatically worsened.
Damian had applied for Social Security Disability in June of 2018 but he was denied. He filed his appeal and was denied for the second time. It states in the Social Security Disability that LUNG DISEASE is one that should be approved immediately, especially without a transplant because IPF leads to death. Damian had to retain an attorney to fight this but in the meantime, his family had been left with the financial burden of having to live off what little savings they had for a year and a half.
On July 2, 2019 Damian received the call that they had a potential donor. Damian was blessed with a new lung. Never did Damian or Veronica think that he would get a new lung before he would get his Social Security Disability.
Veronica has been a stay at home mom. She was more than willing to get a job but was told by the transplant team that she wouldn’t be able to do so at the time because she is Damian’s main caregiver. Damian is required to go each week into the city to meet with his transplant doctor, and for bloodwork and testing to make sure everything is going well. Along with the expense of having one child in college, every trip into the city with gas, tolls, and the actual doctor’s appointments and tests runs them $125-175 a week.
Damian is on a total of 17 prescriptions which is a whopping total of 28 pills a day. The medication is required to stop any kind of rejection that his body may have towards his new lung.
Damian can’t be around crowds, or anyone who may be sick because he could end up extremely ill and end up back in the hospital.
Unfortunately, even with all the precautions, Damian has gotten a slight infection and fluid in his new lung. They are working hard to preserve the transplant lung, between medication and the procedure he will be undergoing to have the fluid removed this week in the hopes it doesn’t come back.
I am hoping that our community can come together and help this deserving family in their time of need.
Organizer and beneficiary
Catherine Kavanagh-Knief
Organizer
Lyndhurst, NJ
Veronica Fulcher
Beneficiary
