Air for Pear
Family, Friends, and Philanthropic Hearts:
My name is Staci Hill Henderson, and I am managing this fundraiser on behalf of my family.
TL;DR - My father was diagnosed with two terminal lung diseases in 2019. As his condition rapidly worsens, physicians determined his only option to continue living is a double lung transplant. Gratefully, our medical insurance covers a good portion of the medical care costs. However, housing, medication, and other costs of living expenses upon moving to Durham, NC for at least four to six months are tens of thousands of dollars.
David Hill is a beloved son, caring brother, devoted husband, and revered father and grandfather. He is affectionately known to those closest to him as his childhood nickname, "Pear". My father is a deep thinker, notorious audiophile, and possessor of keen wit. Sadly, he has grown quickly and increasingly ill over the last several years. After undergoing numerous tests, scans, and several hospitalizations in late 2018 and early 2019, he was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension (plainly, this indicates high lung pressure) and moderate-to-severe Pulmonary Fibrosis. Both of these conditions make it increasingly difficult for one’s heart to pump blood into the lungs, where it can be replenished with oxygen. Immediately after diagnosis, David was placed on 24/7 oxygen therapy and prescribed a substantial cocktail of expensive medications in an attempt to slow the progression of his condition. By mid-2019, his condition improved somewhat due to the efficacy and continued use of his medication. While this good news was a welcomed change, both pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary fibrosis are terminal; there is no cure for either disease. David’s pulmonologist and cardiologist concluded that even with his incredible array of medicine, his health would eventually worsen. The only way to prolong his life more than the average three to five years after diagnosis was to have a double lung transplant.
David’s pulmonologist submitted his case to the lung transplant program at Duke University Medical Center. The transplant team reviewed his case, and David was accepted as a potential transplant candidate based on his medical records alone. David traveled to Durham, North Carolina in February 2020 for physical examination and evaluation to determine if he was a worthy candidate for the double lung transplant he so desperately needed. Unfortunately, this series of tests was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and David chose to put things on hold until it was markedly safer for him to travel. In November 2020, his referral to Duke was resubmitted and favorably accepted again in May of 2021.
My mother and David’s wife of forty years, Rita, accompanied my father for his physical (re-) evaluation in early May. One week later, the review board approved his case for further assessment. Duke’s medical staff authorized David and one caregiver to relocate to Durham as soon as possible to begin preparing for his potential transplant. David and his youngest daughter, my sister, Sara, moved to Durham on June 21, 2021. He began a four-to-six-week program consisting of physical therapy and other facets of rehabilitation required to be placed on the national organ donation registry. On July 16, 2021, our family received some exceptionally positive news - David was approved for a double lung transplant and placed on the national registry. Moving forward, David will continue his physical therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation at Duke University Medical Center, awaiting a pair of lungs that match his blood type and biochemical makeup after they are deemed viable by his Duke team.
The first year post-transplant is the most trying physically, emotionally, and financially. We are especially fortunate that our home in Fort Mill, SC is within range of such a credible and distinguished institution as Duke University Medical Center. We have the utmost confidence in their medical staff and resources. My parents, my sister, and I continue to be overwhelmed with love and encouragement that both our biological relatives and chosen family of friends have shown us. They have sustained our hearts throughout this process. My father's journey navigating two illnesses simultaneously has been complex and exhausting. More, it has forced our focus to faith, optimism, and the gift of presence. The financial piece of this puzzle is, sadly by far, the most daunting. We did not enter into this expecting a bargain. Without question, we recognize this procedure and David's opportunity to undergo a transplant is truly a curative miracle and believe the brilliant medical team deserves compensation. Disappointingly, we have come to learn the frustration of necessary pharmaceutical and therapeutic recovery resources NOT subsidized, despite their sky-high costs and our privilege to decent healthcare coverage.
The cost of a double lung transplant alone is staggering - ranging from approximately 1.3 to 1.5 million dollars, based on the documents we received from Duke. Our family is fortunate enough that most of David’s direct medical expenses are covered by insurance through Rita’s employer. However, there are also considerable items that medical insurance will not pay for. Over the course of the next year, our family must pay roughly $30,000 out of pocket for various and very necessary things. These include relocation costs and housing expenses in Durham - in addition to continuing to pay their mortgage in Tega Cay - and lost wages due to my mother's extended absence from work. The average time for transplant patients and their caregiver(s) to spend living in Durham for rehabilitation is typically four to six months. Yet, this stay can extend upwards of one year, depending upon recovery and complications. Rita will take four weeks of unpaid leave after David’s surgery. Deductibles and coinsurance expenses are exceptionally high as well. Post-transplant, David will be required to take another hefty cocktail of anti-rejection and immune system suppression medications for the rest of his life. Even with more than adequate insurance coverage, these drugs are a sizable out-of-pocket expense, averaging $1,000 to $1,500 per month.
If you would like to help offset this extraordinary financial commitment for our family, we will share our immense gratitude and heartfelt appreciation for any potential support you may be moved to bestow during these trying times. I will be closely monitoring this page. If we reach our goal, donations will be stopped immediately. If for whatever reason we are unable to do that, these remaining funds will be donated to a cause (we are still deciding at this time, but will notify you when we have chosen) dedicated to research and/or family assistance with these diseases. Please feel free to share this link with others.
I will be updating this page as news of his surgery and recovery become available.
Cordially and respectfully yours,
Staci
