Help Emily Live

My name is Emily Kopp. My birthday is February 24, 1990.  I have always had health problems. There are so many health problems I have, that I fear I will never be able to survive and take care of myself. This is part of my health journey so far summarized as best as I can. 

I have required gamma globulin infusions for my poor immune system since the young age of 7. My constant ear and sinus infections required me to have tubes in my ears numerous times. The last time my tubes were removed with tweezers painfully, it damaged my ears to have hearing loss. I have an extremely difficult time communicating with people and cannot hear high pitched tones. 

Gymnastics began when I was four and became a tremendous passion for me. In 2004, I was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy and was forced to quit. My heart became too large and too slow.  My body retained water and one valve eventually failed to open and close. Simply walking around was a tremendously difficult task. During the time I had the heart disease, I experienced my first heartbreak and attempted suicide. In 2007, I was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic to be kept until transplant. I was 17-years-old at the time and was only on the waiting list for 7 days. My transplant was October 17, 2007. The surgeons said my heart was so large that they almost couldn't remove it. I woke up craving M&M cookies. 

As a result of my anti-rejection medicines, my kidneys became damaged and I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2009. In September 2015, I began peritoneal dialysis. I was listed and given many false transplant dates. The long process eventually lead to my kidney transplant happening on March 17, 2016. My younger brother donated. He is my hero. I consider 7 to be my lucky number. 

After a routine heart biopsy, my cardiologist noticed a small lump in my neck. A neck biopsy yielded inconclusive results so the lump was then removed in November of 2016. The results showed that I have high grade stage one salivary gland cancer. All of my lymph nodes in the right side of my neck were removed December 2016 and show no trace of cancer. I am undergoing radiation until March 14th. Currently, I live with my parents and hope to someday be able to take care of myself on my own.https://www.facebook.com/emily.kopp.37