Lung Transplant For Erin

I am a 36-year-old mother of two children. I was born with a genetic disorder called Alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency, which causes progressive deterioration of my lungs. As a result, I have severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) which requires me to be on several medications.

At this moment my lung function is 25% compared to a normal person. This makes my daily life very challenging. I struggle to do things which most people take for granted. I am unable to walk very far, clean my house, or exert myself in any way due to extreme shortness of breath.

Things are getting worse. I am now to the point where I will require a lung transplant to carry on. Given the severity of my illness, timing is everything. Currently, I am headed to Toronto in September for a detailed assessment for transplant consideration. As the process moves forward, I will be required to leave my home in New Brunswick and move to Toronto for up to a year and a half. As you can imagine, this is an extremely expensive endeavour -- particularly given the fact that I am supporting two children on government disability secondary to my COPD.

Financially, it would be impossible for me to bear this expense. Along with moving to Toronto, I will need to ensure my children and home back in New Brunswick are taken care of. Additionally, my fiance will need to take significant time away from his job to help me through this very challenging time. As you can imagine, maintaining contact with my children is important to me, but will also come at a price.

The expenses are adding up. I've never been one to seek out help and money from others, but I am desperate. I need to have this lung transplant, but I cannot bear the financial cost alone. I kindly appreciate any financial help you could offer to make my need for a new set of lungs financially possible.

Thank you.