Friends, Family and The World at large...

In a time where relationships seem disposable and commitments are predicated on convenience,  Jhan Smith risked everything he owned and anything he could leverage, to save Kathleen Marie Gaffney, the one true love of his life.  On October 11th 2018 Kathleen lost her 2 year battle with Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis.   I am here to celebrate their love and to ask you to join me in supporting Jhan and the rare lesson that they taught us all though their ordeal:   No matter the risk, no matter the cost, fight for the ones you love.    

*All donations will be deposited directly to Jhan to help pay for mounting medical bills and funeral costs.

Their Story

Two years ago,  Kathleen started noticing she was short of breath.  A seemingly routine doctor visit revealed that she had Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a condition that causes scar tissue to grow inside your lungs.  IPF scar tissue is thick, like the scars you get on your skin after a cut. It slows oxygen flow from your lungs to your blood, which can keep your body from working as it should. Low oxygen levels and the stiff scar tissue make it hard to breathe.

There’s no cure for IPF.  Some people will get worse quickly, while others can live 10 years or more after they are diagnosed.  The only way to survive is with a lung transplant.  And so began a two year ordeal, battling with Hospitals, Transplant Organizations and of course Insurance Companies to get Kathleen a new set of lungs.

Kathleen started with the University of Washington Transplant team and Pulmonologist but her BMI was too high by 20 lbs and she was getting sick faster than she could reach their required BMI goal.  The UW recommended St. Josephs in Phoenix that had a less aggressive BMI requirement and only a 15 day waiting list for a transplant (UW has a 6 month waiting list).   Things were looking up.

But as Jhan and Kathleen would soon find out, their the challenges were only beginning.    St. Joseph's was out of network and not covered by their Insurance.  Jhan appealed 3 times and wrote letters to every Western Governor and State Insurance Commissioner in the Western US.  Four grueling and very valuable months passed while Jhan and St Joseph's attempted to contact the insurance company (a huge company you would all know)  and their agent, who's voicemail was full and/or was just simply not returning their calls.

During that four months, Kathleen's conditions had worsened considerably and she was needing more oxygen during the day than could be taken on a commercial flight to Phoenix or carried in a car or van.  Jhan didn't hesitate.  He bought an RV and had it modified with additional Generators, Oxygen Concentrators and Inverters so that Kathleen could survive the trip, when and if it came.   He got the RV home, only to find that it had not been done properly and the inverters couldn't support the equipment on board.  During that time Kathleen had gotten much sicker with Pneumonia symptoms and was hospitalized locally.

Knowing that her time was quickly running out and with no other options of transporting her,  Jhan had no other choice than to Charter a Private Jet for $20,000.00 and fly her to Phoenix immediately.
When she got to St Joseph's, she passed all of the BMI requirements and was put on their 15 day waiting list.  Shortly after, they found that she had a twisted esophagus (that she was born with), a complication that could de-rail the procedure.  The Transplant Surgeon said that it wouldn't be a problem at all.  He would simply fix the esophagus then perform the transplant.  However, it was not to be.  The Transplant Team deemed her to high a risk and took her off the Transplant List and sent her home to be made comfortable with hospice care.

Tragically, Kathleen passed away at home surrounded by loved ones on October 11th 2018.

Along with his lengthy emotional recovery, Jhan has incurred a tremendous financial bourdon through their ordeal...     $60,000.00 just in her last four months:

-Medical Bills
-Specialists
-Travel to and from Phoenix (not on the jet)
-Gas
-Hotels
-Generators
-Back-up O2 Concentrator
-O2 Tubing & Racks
-Nebulizers
-Multiple Medical Grade Oxymeters
-MIsc. O2 Supplies
-Exercise Equipment
-Scooter
-Comode
-RV Payments
-RV Medical Modifications
-Dr. Specialist Co-Pays
-$12,000.00 funeral
-$20,000.00 Private Jet Charter

Jhan did not ask for any help or pursue a GoFundMe Campaign.   He plans on continuing to go to Providence Medical Center everyday where he works as a Security Guard and paying off his debt the old fashioned way.  I'm asking you to help me, help give him a boost financially so that he can focus more of his energy where its needed... emotional recovery.  Thank you.