Chris Nixon's Lung Transplant Living Expenses

My name is Kathryn, and my dad, Chris, suffers from IPF, which required him to undergo a double lung transplant at Toronto General Hospital on Monday, August 22.

Due to the nature of false calls for lungs (we got 3 calls within 6 days, the 1st 2 deemed non-viable on arrival), my mom had to wait until post-transplant before searching for an apartment in Toronto. She was prepared and made all of the lists with all of the places, but so far has had no luck. In the meantime, she is stuck staying in hotels each night, and is required to be in Toronto for a minimum of 3 months after he is released from hospital, looking at approximately 3K/month in rent at that point.

Of course, with the CNE operating again this year, and being in the direct vicinity of TGH, hotel prices have skyrocketed due to high demand.

At $250/night minimum for hotel rooms, the cost of food in downtown Toronto (whether that be in the hospital, hotel, or otherwise), as well as the many other expenses that pop up including their expenses at home (mortgage, utlity bills, etc) that must still be maintained, I want my mom to be able to focus on my dad and his recovery.

He is still sedated due to an array of complications, which has been an emotional rollercoaster for us all daily. He was also the one who dealt with all the financial aspects of life for them prior to the transplant. It's been a learning curve for my mom, to say the least.

If you know my parents, you know the kind of people they are. Always so selfless and willing to help anyone. My moms been working full-time midnights at the grocery store in order to limit her exposure, but still bring in an income and upkeep her benefits to pay for my dad's medication. My dad is the first to go play electrician or plumber and get someone out of a bad situation free of charge, or playing accountant at income tax season for those who can't afford to pay for the services otherwise. They are the best grandparents to my 5 children, always off on some adventure riding bikes, heading to parks, or off fishing in a nearby pond when he was healthy enough to do so.

It would mean the world to me if I could, in some way, lessen the burden during this extremely emotionally/physically/financially-draining time in their lives.

Thanks for reading this far, and if you're able to donate, even a little, I'll be forever grateful.