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THIS FUNDRAISER IS CLOSED.-------------- Charles drew his last breath on February 11, 2026. At this time funds are going toward his funeral expenses.
On December 25th, 2017, Charles was admitted to the hospital for advanced COPD, a progressive lung disease. He was prescribed supplemental oxygen and other medications, which are being increased over time. There is no cure, with the exception of a new set of lungs
I've been fundraising for my husband's upcoming lung transplant since the end of December 2021. We have the deepest gratitude for those who generously donated. In March of 2022, it appeared that we had raised enough funds to satisfy the medical committee. However, Charles was denied the transplant due to 'suspected' prostate cancer.
Charles's survival depends upon an intense double lung transplant surgery. His surgery will be performed at Baylor, Scott, & White Health of Dallas. He will be kept for 2 to 4 weeks after the surgery. Upon release from the hospital, we will need to stay in in-patient housing near Baylor for respiratory therapy. With new lungs, he will need to re-learn how to breathe, speak, and eat. Immunosuppressant drugs will be required for the rest of his life to prevent the rejection of his new lungs.
On July 8th, he traveled 3 hours in triple-digit temperatures to rule out cancer for an MRI. The handicapped parking at the medical center was the equivalent of a city block away. He marched on carrying his oxygen tank. Just as he entered the medical facility, he went into respiratory arrest, which caused his heart to stop for 5 minutes. CPR saved his life but broke his ribs. This catastrophic event left him temporarily unable to survive a lung transplant. Before his release from the hospital, he did get an MRI.
Good news! MRI showed NO PROSTATE CANCER! He does still need lungs, though.
We met with the pulmonary surgeon on November 10, 2022, and the surgeon advocated for Charles to have the transplant. With the help of home healthcare from nurses and physical therapists, he is now stable enough to survive the surgery.
As he goes through post-surgical therapy, we will be staying in temporary housing at 'Twice Blessed House' in Dallas, which is very near Baylor University Medical Center. The price of this is $50 per day. Depending upon his recovery process, we will need to be in Dallas for approximately 3 to 6 months.
Aside from the housing expense, we will have to consider food, medication (some covered by insurance), transportation, and general upkeep. As Charles's post-surgical caregiver, I cannot leave him alone and cannot work to raise income until after he has recovered.
I mistakenly discontinued raising funds because I thought that he had been ruled out for surgery. Now that the surgery is in the picture again, I need to continue to raise funds. It's not something that either of us wants to do, but Baylor requires us to continue to fundraise.
A bit about Charles and his condition:
He served 20 years as a Corpsman in the US Navy and earned his LVN certification in California. On the side, he volunteered in fire/rescue in various locations across the country. Up until 2019, Charles continued to serve multiple communities. He has saved lives, and now he needs the help of others to reach out to assist in his efforts to stay alive.