Mary Kaye's Double Lung Transplant

Our niece, Mary, has an inherited degenerative lung disease, Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, which has incapacitated her to the point where she can't do the things most of us take for granted, such as taking care of her two children still at home, 11 and 17 years of age.

She needs a double lung transplant and will soon be given the opportunity to be evaluated for a double lung transplant at Mayo Hospital Transplant Center in Jacksonville, Florida. She will be there for two weeks and then at least another 3 months, possibly more, at great expense to her family. This is Mary's last hope. In the past, she has been, unfortunately, let down by the medical community.

Mary's own words:

"The thing is, if I only had myself to worry about, I like to believe it would be different. I think I am actually a pretty brave person. I can't say that I have spent much of my time being worried about dying. I am worried about how it will and is currently affecting other people, the process as well as the actual event."

"I do not expect a single thing from anybody. I just finally realized that if I didn't reach out that I could not honestly say I had done everything I could to see my 11 year old a little closer to graduating and shape more into the great and creative man he is going to be, see one of my beautiful, courageous and smart daughters perhaps get married, have careers or possibly children of their own or see my 17 year old son use his incredible brain to do the amazing things I know he destined for."