A Few Words From My Friend Heather Kirkwood Karen asked me to write something for her GoFundMe page. “You’re a writer…” she said. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write because I love Karen so much. Everything seems canned. It doesn’t say how much I want to help her, or how my world would be different if she were not in it. Then it hit me. You all know Karen too! I don’t have to tell YOU who Karen is or what makes her special. I just need to tell you what she has ahead of her. I know because I’ve walked the same path. Karen is sadly no stranger to being sick. She was born with a rare genetic disorder (that I also have) called Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome or HPS. Karen has had more than her fair share of illness and had way more hospital appreciation time than anyone should experience in a lifetime. Now, however, Karen is in for a whole new fight that is going to be different than the battles she’s fought before. HPS causes pulmonary fibrosis, or a scaring of the lungs. As the disease progresses it becomes harderfor her lungs to expand and contract and supply the other organs of her body with oxygen. While she is starting a treatment that, we all hope, will slow the disease’s progression, it is not a cure. Karen needs a lung transplant. Getting a lung transplant is no easy job. I know. I had my transplant a year and a half ago. It isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon. First, she will need to undergo dozens of medical tests to ensure she would be a good candidate. If she is then placed on the waiting list, she will have to keep up with a busy schedule of therapy and medical appointments to remain listed until new lungs arrive. When she finally has the surgery, her recovery will be long. All the while, there’s that little sound in the background – cha ching. While medical insurance will likely cover most of the medical bills, there are always expenses families going through transplant experience that are not covered by insurance. It can be hard to predictexactly what those costs will be because everyone’s journey is different. Frequently, however, there are costs associated with travel to medical appointments; insurance co-pays that seem minimal when you see the doctor now and then, but suddenly become a huge expense as the number of appointments, tests and medications ramps up; and even parking and lodging so family can be near her when she’s in the hospital. Right now it is hard to predict what she and her family will need, but I can promise you, they are going to have needs that will ratchet up the financial pressure on their household. As Karen’s friends and supporters, let’s help her focus on the fight ahead and not where she’s going to find the money to fight it.  Please join me today by making any kind of donation – large or small. Every little bit pools together to make big things happen. We LOVE YOU KAREN!

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Anonymous

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Lung Transplant Fund for Karen Tickle Tillman

Lung Transplant Fund for Karen Tickle Tillman

Still $6,942 to go. Help us build momentum.