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Wheeze Rite Fund (CoPD/ Emphysema)

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Hello, 

I am a 38 year old that had a wonderful childhood growing up. I had two great parents. I loved them so much, I believe I was a daddys boy. I grew up with him from the ages of four on due to my parents splitting up when I was young. It turned out to be a wonderful thing for all of us involved. I became really close with my father but also my mother because dad was at work alot and it was very hard for him to raise his son/ Josh (myself) so I spenet alot of time with my mother. Durning my youth I was diagnosed with asthma when I was about a year old. My life I strugged with my asthma. I was in and out of the ER and had many stays in the hospital for days to weeks at a time due to myself not being able to breath. This became the norm for me. I got very very use to my other home, the local hospital....
So a few years go by and now I am in my early teens, the fun years in life I was always told. But nothing changed besides the doctors and the medication and what local hospital. I tried to be as active as I could in my youth like playing sports for my highschool and extra activities outside of school too. I became in pretty good shape for my young age considering my asthma and breathing issues... Well well now I finally fell apart, my lung kept collapsing when i was in my early to mid 30's so we ran a bunch of test, MRI,CT scans, etc. This came to find that my right lung had Bleebs covering the top half and this was causing it to fail so I could not breath and struggled for every breath while in great pain.  So I had several chest tubes put in and on several visits for this same problem while waiting time to have my right upper half of my lung removed due to the bleebs, COPD and emphazima, and it kept collapsing....
Basicly the lung tissue is dead and weiging down the top of the lung. So this day came and the surgery was performed succesful. I had a raugh start after the sugery, I was in ICU for 21 days and another 10 in just the normal room for observation before they would let me go home. Well finally my lung was healthy enough for me to go home but with a chest tubes that had to stay for me to maintain for 2 more weeks. This the tubes and drains would come out...
 This was a great and helpful procedure that has changed my life to make it so I can live but to breath is still a very big big effort. I can no longer work or clean my home. The cleaning chemical send me right off in a breathing attach with my asthma/COPD.  I cant even lean on my family for help anymore because I have spent all they can help with and are worried that I am not able to make it on my own and the truth is I won't without all your help, whatever help you can give. This will benifit my life... I thank you so very much for all and whatever help you can offer. 
I have no one anymore, my family has given everything and they have nothing left. Not only am I stuggling with daily function but those bill collectors are knocking for there medical bills to be paid from my lung surgery and hospital stays and my monthly prescription to live off of are almost impossible for myself with no help from others. I have written the drug companies for help and and have applied for every benifit program the state offers and i am still barely hanging on and need all the help small or large you can give. I not only thank you for taking the time to read this and hopefully give what you can to the breathrite fund but i ask you to please pass this on to your friends and family members and ask them to pay it forward to someone special in need.  

I thank you all  very much...

Organizer

Joshua A Bartz
Organizer
Chicago, IL

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