Help Jerry with medical bills and lung transplant

Hi, my name is Jerry. In 2019, my life was literally changed in a moment. I went to the doctor for a wellness check and was told I had IPF, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. I had no idea what this was so I looked up the definition of this disease.  It is a condition in which lungs become scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult. The life expectancy for the average person is 3 to 5 years. I was in shock knowing my life would be over soon.

 

Since this is a rare disease, when progressed, the lungs will harden from scarring which then limits your ability to breathe. I am taking an experimental drug to slow the progression of the scarring and hardening of the lungs.

 

I contracted COVID 19 before the vaccine was available. This made my breathing more difficult and I am now using oxygen on a daily basis.

 

With my condition worsening, I did go through many tests to see if I could qualify for a double lung transplant at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. I do qualify for the transplant, and am on the transplant list.

 

When I get the call from Nebraska Medicine to let me know they found a donor, my wife and I will travel over 2 hours to get to the transplant facility. After the transplant, we will be required to live in Omaha for at least 3 months. While there, I will be taking tests and having checkups daily, from the transplant team to make sure the lungs are a match.

 

I had to leave my dream job (truck driving) because of my declining health. I was able to be on disability and am now on Medicare because of my age. Medicare does not cover the experimental drug I am using. This drug costs over $10,000 a month, so my wife has been working to help with the cost. My wife and I are high school sweethearts. I met her when I was 15 and we haven’t been apart since. We will be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary in 2022 and I would like to be around to share our day together and hopefully many more. My wife and I are blessed with 4 children, 9 grandchildren, and 1 great grandson.

 

We have never asked for help before, but we do know this is something bigger than either one of us could imagine. We are asking for any help to pay my medical expenses and lodging expenses as I prepare to go through the double lung transplant process. Thank you for any help and prayers you may provide.