Edit- Unfortunately this has shifted to Funeral expenses. This was completely out of the blue and not the result any one expected. Please consider saying a prayer for her husband, mother, children, grandchildren and all the other family.

thank you for your support as we try and navigate through this

My name is Rachel Dehn. We are raising money to get my Mom, Deb Grigsby (formally Dehn), a double lung transplant.

PayPal is @rdehn95 - they don’t have fees !

This is going to be an expensive road, we have to do whatever it takes to bring her home.

This process could end up being over a million dollars easily , She has insurance but insurance only covers so much.

So far we have been admitted for 23 days, blood tests, EEG, EKG, 2 surgeries, 29 chest X-rays , 7 CT scans, so many medications they placed a PICC line, one ambulance ride, and put on the ECMO machine. While she waits to be transported again four hours away in critical condition and then all the test for pre transplant, then transplant, then all the care annd rehab after words. Our journey has only been 23 days so far and it’s no where near over.

She is the young age of 61, and we are trying to do whatever it takes to bring her home.

My whole life, my Mom had the most infectious laugh and she would do anything to help another person. Now I need the help of others.

We grew up in Richmond, and she had her own cake business called Cakes With Character. She had her own recipe column in the Ray Co News paper. She was an involved mother with our school and PTA; most kids around town knew her as “Mrs. D.” She subbed for all grades (her favorite was high school, they were potty trained LOL), and her laugh—you would know it was her from the other side of the building.

Now she has spread her joy into the US Postal Service for the last 10 years. Currently living her best life with her husband, kids, five grandkids, and best doggie friend Lillian.

Never in a million years would I have ever thought this is the post I would be making.

Her story:

In 2021, she was hospitalized with COVID-19. After having COVID, she was never the same. For the last four years, she had been seeing a pulmonologist in Warrensburg, MO. They had tiptoed around doing a tracheotomy for four years, but he always told her, “You’re okay today, let’s check back in six months.”

Then he retired, so while being in limbo of trying to get a referral and find another pulmonologist, she got worse.

In October of 2024, she and her husband, Rob, went to tour the Winchester House in California. My Mom is determined she inhaled a 50-year-old mold spore and it exacerbated everything inside her lungs.

After October, it was constantly a pneumonia diagnosis, sinus infection, flu, something. She would get meds and be sent on. She would get better, then get sick again.

Fast forward to March 1, 2025.

She couldn’t make it up 4 stairs; she couldn’t talk without gasping for air.

March 3, 2025, we were admitted into NKC hospital.

I forced her to go. I think somehow she knew this would go badly because she didn’t want to go. She was scared.

We get there, they treated her for pneumonia. A week goes by, then they say that they want to do a bronchoscope to figure out if it’s cancer. Another week goes by, test results are negative, they still don’t know. Monday, they started running every possible blood test again; everything was “normal.” They planned a tracheotomy for Friday morning.

She survived surgery. Friday night was great; they let me stay in the ICU with her as her anxiety was high, rightfully so.

Saturday was good; she passed her clear solids meal and was eating 2 egg and cheese omelets for dinner. They removed the drainage tube; she was okay.

After visitors left Saturday, everything took a turn. They believe she had a panic attack and they couldn’t get her to calm down.

The only option was sedation, intubation, and putting her on the ventilator.

Sunday went by, and Monday she got a new pulmonologist. This doctor has moved mountains for her.

Tuesday, she was transported to KU MED to be put on ECMO to keep her alive. This was something NKC didn’t have.

Now they are in the process of getting her transported to St. Louis for a double lung transplant.

KU said that this was the best place for her to go; she won’t be able to tolerate moving any farther. KU has been amazing.

I will continue to update when I can. All I’m asking for is prayers. If you want to help financially, that’s fantastic, but most importantly, please say a prayer.