Help Joy with her double lung transplant!

My sister Emily along with our step siblings Vince, Cameron and I, Lisa, are doing a GoFundMe for our mother, Joy Lancaster O'Bear. Our Mum is about to take on the biggest fight of her life.

Joy was diagnosed 6 years ago with Pulmonary Fibrosis and is now waiting for a double lung transplant.

Pulmonary Fibrosis is a chronic lung disease that creates deep scarring, causing the lungs to grow stiff. This makes it difficult to take deep breaths and hinders the lungs' ability to send oxygen to the blood.

There is no known cause or cure for Pulmonary Fibrosis. There are medications that can slow the disease, but they only work for so long. Joy has been getting progressively worse over the past few years. She has be on supplemental oxygen for the past year, 24/7 and has been unable to work for the past 5 years.

The challenge with having the transplant procedure is that it can only take place in Edmonton, a 4-hour drive away. Mum and her husband, Kelly, will have to drop everything in an instant and get to Edmonton within hours. At that point, they will need to move to the city for at least 3 months. This means covering accommodations in both Calgary and Edmonton, reliable transportation (particularly during Alberta winters) to and from both cities for daily hospital visits, appointments and meals.

Upon returning to Calgary, Joy will require daily transportation to the hospital, as she will not be able to drive for a few months. She will also need help with grocery pick-ups and housekeeping.

Joy's two daughters, her husband Kelly O'Bear, and Joy's sister Jane Lancaster will be Joy's designated caregivers for the duration of her stay in Edmonton and throughout the following year. All caregivers will need to take compassionate leave from their employment to help out.

Joys quality of life has been severely impacted over the past year and now finds it difficult to do the activities that she loves like tending to her garden and playing with her grandsons. With a successful lung transplant, Mum can look forward to many fulfilling and healthy years to come.

Our family would be so grateful for any financial support, prayers, love, light, and good vibes. We know times are tough for everyone. If you are unable to donate, can you please share this link all over social media? We need Mum/Grandma/Joy to come back with a renewed lease on life.

Mum really wants to go camping, dancing, gardening, take walks with her 94-year-old father, and spend quality time with her many loved ones, especially her grandsons, Sam and William.

We will keep you updated regularly on Mum's progress.

We need Joy's happy, lively spirit to continue for many years to come.

Thank you from all of us. ❤️