In the summer of 2025, our lives changed in ways we never expected.

What started as what we thought was a severe cold for my dad, Bob, quickly turned into something much more serious. After weeks without improvement, he went to the doctor—beginning months filled with bloodwork, CT scans, chest X-rays, multiple surgeries, and countless tests. Unfortunately, many of those tests led to dead ends and no clear answers.

In October, we finally got the diagnosis we had been searching for—but it was heartbreaking: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF).

IPF is a progressive and irreversible lung disease that causes scarring in the lungs. As the scarring worsens, breathing becomes more and more difficult. There is no cure—only medications that may slow its progression.

Bob began treatment in November, but the disease has progressed quickly. By December, he needed supplemental oxygen. What started as needing oxygen only during activity has now become a constant necessity—even while sleeping.

After traveling to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, doctors confirmed that the next step is a double lung transplant.

Following two exhausting weeks of testing and over 40 appointments, we received a piece of hopeful news: Bob has been approved to be placed on the transplant list.

Now, we wait for the call that donor lungs are available—a call that could save his life.

When that moment comes, we will need to return to Minnesota immediately. Bob will remain in the hospital for 2–4 weeks after surgery, followed by 2–3 months of recovery in Rochester, where he must stay close to Mayo Clinic for ongoing care and monitoring.

Because of his illness, Bob has been forced to stop working. My mom, Debbie, is now the sole source of income, and she will also need to take time off work to be Bob’s full-time caregiver during this process.

It was not easy for my dad to agree to start this fundraiser, but the financial burden has become more than our family can manage alone.

Your donations will help cover:

-Temporary housing in Rochester, Minnesota

-Travel expenses to and from Mayo Clinic

-Lost income due to both Bob and Debbie being unable to work

-Medical bills, both current and ongoing

This journey doesn’t end with the transplant—it will be a lifelong process of care, medication, and monitoring.

Any support you can give—whether through a donation or simply sharing this page—means more to our family than we can express. It gives us hope, strength, and the ability to focus on what matters most: helping Bob fight for his life.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for being part of this journey with us.