Hello Family and Friends,

I’m starting a GoFundMe for my cousin Diane. Her and her family are in a bad position right now, looking for any help that we could give them will be greatly appreciated.

My cousin was born with Alpha-1. About 10 years ago, she was diagnosed by the doctor. (Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), a genetic disorder, means they don't produce enough functional AAT, which can lead to serious lung and liver diseases, such as emphysema, COPD, and cirrhosis). When she got diagnosed with Alpha-1, she had to start getting plasma infusions to replace the enzymes that she is missing. As the years passed, she started to decline in health. She is now on oxygen 24/7. Simple tasks like taking a shower, walking to the bathroom a foot away from her bed, walking up steps, yelling at her kids, and walking to the car are difficult for her to breathe even with the oxygen.

However, within the past 2 years, things have been getting tougher with the cost of the infusion, cost of ambulance, hospital bills, household bills, and everyday living costs. Then the news that she needs a double lung transplant. In the mix of everything, her husband got hurt at work and was out of work for a while. Unfortunately, bills don’t stop when you're not working.

With the amount of stress and anxiety and the fear of not being able to pay her bills and losing her house, it is making her sicker and doing more damage to her lungs.

So please, anything you can spare will be greatly appreciated. No amount is too small.

Thank you for your support and generosity.