Big Hearted Donations for Diane Ramirez

This fundraiser is for Diane Ramirez, a pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH or PH)* patient in need of a new heart and lungs.

To start our story, let’s hear from Diane herself. Diane, what’s the first thing you’ll do with those new lungs?

“Just breathe. Just take deep breaths and enjoy it.”

Can you imagine wishing for something so simple? To breathe freely is something we all take for granted… until we can’t do it anymore. For over 35 years, Diane has struggled just to breathe. But despite the obstacles, she has lived life fully, and she helps others do the same.

Diane has dedicated decades to her PH and rare disease communities. From leading her local support group, to over a dozen visits to Capitol Hill to lobby for better healthcare laws, to 12 years on the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Board of Trustees, to just always being there to help a patient in need, Diane has been there, and given fully of herself every step of the way.

Diane says, “I want people to feel what I feel - I have hope. And I want to make sure other people can connect so they have hope too. That’s it. Everything stems from that.”

Now it’s our turn to support Diane in her hope for a new heart and lungs.

Can you help?

Transplant is incredibly costly, and while Diane is lucky to have good insurance coverage, her transplant team at Duke has made it clear that she will need approximately an extra $40,000 to cover other expenses throughout the process. She and her husband Dale must relocate 90 miles from their home to be near the hospital before, during, and after the transplant. Dale will need to take extended time from work, and they will have to maintain both their temporary rental and their home while going through this life-changing surgery.

No doubt Diane is strong enough to get through every step of this - fighting and surviving the odds is what she’s always done. And when it’s over, when she’s breathing freely for the first time in decades, what she most looks forward to is this:

“Being told I don’t have PH anymore. When the surgeons told me that is what would happen - I couldn’t even wrap my head around it. PH has been a part of my life for more than half my life. I never thought I’d be at a point where ‘You don’t have PH anymore’ is something I would hear.”

Let’s make this a reality for a woman who has dedicated so much to others. Every little bit helps, and Diane, her family, and her friends thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

* PH is a rare and debilitating lung disease that also impacts the heart. The average patient will survive only 7 or so years with PH. Diane’s diagnosis came before there were even treatments available, and after decades of fighting and medical innovation, she is moving to the next phase - the only cure for pulmonary hypertension, a lung transplant. Because she has had PH for so long, her heart is tired too, and she will get a new one at the same time as the lungs.

To learn more about PH, visit www.PHAssociation.org