Help Latasha with Heart & Lung Transplant Expenses

**For transparency, here is a link to a spreadsheet detailing all donations received and expenses, so donors will know how funds are being used. GoFundMe Tracking

My name is Latasha Warner. I am a very private person, so it is difficult for me to share my story.

I was born with a congenital heart defect known as Transposition of the Great Arteries.

My father is retired from the Army. He was stationed in Germany, which is where I was born. I had to be life flighted to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. where, at the age of 9 months, I had open-heart surgery to have an atrial switch. At the age of 5 years, I had my second open-heart surgery. I’ve had multiple catheterizations and ablations, and been on numerous medications over the years. At the age of 26, I received my first pacemaker; I am currently on my third pacemaker. That same year, I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in my lungs, leading to more medications and complications. Through all of my medical issues and physical limitations, I pushed myself to maintain a full-time job as an educator and pursue graduate degrees.

I started my teaching career in 2004 as a high school English teacher. I received my master’s degree in English Education in 2007. After several years of teaching high school English, I received my certification in gifted education and began teaching and working with students in grades 2 through 12. I decided to pursue my doctorate in English Education, while continuing to teach gifted students full-time as well as teaching English composition courses at a university part-time. During my doctoral coursework, I became interested in educational leadership and decided to pursue certification in that, which I received in 2015. In addition to obtaining degrees and certifications, I also pursued professional development opportunities through attending and presenting at several national, regional, and local conferences.

In 2015, I achieved one of my ultimate goals, which was to teach full-time at the college/university level. I transitioned from elementary and secondary education to teaching English composition courses full-time while working towards completing my doctoral studies. I also had the opportunity to supervise student interns and help prepare future secondary English teachers.

Towards the end of 2016, I was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel in regards to my doctoral studies. I was excited about being so close to finishing and embarking on the next phase of my career. I had completed all coursework and was in the final parts of completing my dissertation when my body decided to tell me I had been doing too much for too long. In November 2016, I began coughing up blood and ultimately collapsed at work. I woke up one week later in ICU at Emory University Hospital in Georgia. The medications I was given during this time saved my life but also caused an injury to my kidneys.

This was a huge wake-up call to me and my life hasn’t been the same since. As my diseases have progressed, it has been harder to keep excess fluid from building up and being retained in my body, which makes it even more difficult to breathe. I have been on different diuretics; I’ve also been hospitalized a few times to have excess fluid removed. During one hospitalization, I had almost 30 pounds of fluid removed. Most recently, I had about five pounds of fluid removed.

One of my favorite hobbies is baking. Prior to 2016, any spare time I had would be spent baking treats for family, friends, and co-workers. I absolutely could not wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I could bake all kinds of treats. Being a teacher, I would have the week of Thanksgiving off. Starting that Monday, I would cook and bake in preparation for my family’s Thanksgiving meal. Now, I can’t do that. I have to start preparing for Thanksgiving in October or at the beginning of November. I have to plan and spread everything out, so I don’t stand too long in the kitchen or get too fatigued. At Christmas, I like to bake treats to give to our dog groomers, doggie daycare place, and my husband’s co-workers. It has gotten more difficult to do this, and I’ve had to choose whether to bake for Thanksgiving or Christmas rather than being able to do both. The frustration between mentally wanting to do something versus physically not having the energy to do it is absolutely unbearable at times.

Over the last few years, I have been a patient at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where I’ve had a stent put in and been maxed out on diuretic medication. I have to monitor my weight closely for any fluid retention. In the last year, when my doctors have tried adjusting my diuretic medications for maximum effectiveness, my kidneys have acted up. Because of my prior kidney injury, any additional diuretics may lead to kidney failure.

I always forced myself to keep going and not give up, even when people would curse me out or harass me for parking in a handicap parking spot with my issued handicap placard, even when I would get dirty looks or rude comments for taking an elevator to the second floor because I couldn’t breathe if I walked up the stairs, even when it took all the energy I had to get out of bed, even when employers would question me for taking a sick day when I didn’t “look sick.”

If you know me, then you’ll agree with my doctors who tell me I hide my health issues well, which is why many people will be surprised that I am in need of a heart and double lung transplant. I am officially listed for transplant.

A heart and double lung transplant is one of the more rare transplants done. According to UNOS, in 2022, across the nation, there were 42,889 transplants. Of those, 51 were heart/lung transplants.

Although I am excited about the possibilities I may have with a new heart and lungs, I am fully aware of the many costs that will be incurred as a result.

First and foremost, I am thinking of the person whose organs I will receive and the ultimate price they will pay in order for me to continue living. I will be forever grateful for their gift and hope to do all I’m able to somehow pay it forward.

Second, I am thinking of the mental costs of my family. This life is all I have known, and, thankfully, I have a family who have always been supportive of me. My husband, Chris, is also retired from the Army and continues to serve as a federal employee for the Department of Defense. He has always accepted me and never gets frustrated when I physically can’t do what I mentally want to do, no matter how frustrated I get. My parents and sisters have always been there to lend a helping hand, no matter the time of day or distance from their homes. They have all been stressed out and had to deal with their own mental health in order to be there for me when I needed it. Throughout this transplant process, I know their mental health will be put to the test. I will do my best to be as mentally strong as possible for myself and for them.

Third and the reason that brings me to creating this fundraiser, I am thinking of all the financial costs that my family and I will incur because of the transplant. Thankfully, I have good health insurance that will cover the majority of the actual surgery and hospital costs. Until the transplant happens, I have follow-up appointments every two to three months. Once the transplant happens, my doctors have already advised that my recovery will more than likely take a bit longer because of my previous surgeries. The average hospital stay is 14-21 days. They have said my stay will probably be closer to 30 days, which means more hotel costs for my family. Chris and I will have to relocate to Cleveland for a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks after I am released from the hospital. After that, the first year will consist of multiple follow-up appointments and procedures to check for any signs of organ rejection. We also have to commit to follow-up appointments for the first three years after transplant at Cleveland Clinic. We live three hours from Cleveland Clinic, so it is inevitable that we will be staying in hotels for these follow-up appointments. My family live in Georgia and Alabama and will be rotating with Chris so, hopefully, no one gets burned out from taking care of me. My sisters have children who are under the age of 18, so childcare may be needed.

Because of my health issues, my doctors always told me not to have children, so Chris and I have furry children, currently two dogs and a cat. Our dogs are Jack and Gunner, and our cat is Binx. Jack is an approximately six-year-old chocolate lab who we rescued when we lived In Tennessee. Gunner is a one-year-old English Bulldog. Binx is a two-year-old shorthair cat that we adopted from a cat rescue when he was a kitten. They will need to be boarded for all the hospital appointments and recovery time from the surgery.

Chris and I have been doing our best to financially prepare for this surgery, but it is somewhat overwhelming when you actually start adding up all the potential costs.

Here is a breakdown of potential expenses:

-Hotels near Cleveland Clinic that offer transplant rate: $139 to $179/night; every 30 days=$4170 to $5370

-One round-trip drive to Cleveland Clinic=1 tank of gas; $3.50/gallon=$59.50/tank

-Food: $150 to $200/week; $600 to $800/month

-Pet boarding=$100/night; every 30 days=$3000

Estimated known total for every 30 days: $9,000

We are hoping to get into the Transplant House of Cleveland at the rate of $75/night to lower our lodging expenses, but they are a high-demand facility and not a guaranteed option for us. This option is only available once I have been called for the transplant.

All donations will be used to assist with out-of-pocket expenses directly related to the surgery, which may include transportation to and from the hospital for appointments, lodging and food for immediate family members, relocation expenses, and boarding for pets. Any remaining funds will be donated to assist a future transplant patient.

For transparency, all donations will be put in a separate bank account and an itemized log kept for tracking expenses.

I have never wanted to be a burden to anyone, but, as my diseases have progressed, I have begun feeling like more and more of a burden to my family. I would love to be able to walk up a flight of stairs without struggling to breathe. I would love to be able to take my dogs on long walks and not have to take days to recover from those walks. I would love to be able to travel more and enjoy going on vacation instead of worrying about how I’ll be able to take my medications and if I’ll have the energy to actually be present during a trip. I would love to be able to bake all the time and know that my treats brought a smile to someone else’s face. I would love to do more activities with my family instead of always staying home. And, I would love nothing more than going back to working and contributing to society again. Having this transplant hopefully will allow me to do all of these and more.

If you’re able and willing to help, my family and I thank you.

Thank you for your consideration!