Help My Dad Get New Lungs
Donation protected
Hey everyone, I'm Amanda. I'm creating this fundraiser for my father, Bob Taylor, who has stage 4 COPD and is in urgent need of a double lung transplant. For those of you unfamiliar with the condition, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease causes permanent, cumulative lung damage due to either emphysema, chronic bronchitis or in my dad's case, a combination of the two. Basically, the air sacs in his lungs are damaged to the point where they break down and lose their flexibility. As a result, it is difficult for him to push air out of his lungs and get fresh air in. It's impossible for him to take a full, deep breath and now he has to be on oxygen 24/7. On top of that, his chronic bronchitis causes inflammation in the airways. This makes the airways swollen and clogged, resulting in even more shortness of breath.
My dad used to be a very active person, but his COPD has made that impossible now. He would often go fishing and hiking, and he loved his job as a house painter. He's an avid Jimi Hendrix fan and used to play his guitar for several hours a day. Now, his lung function is only between 11- 18% and his blood oxygen level dips to 74% with even minor exertion like simply standing up from the couch and walking to the kitchen. A healthy blood oxygen level is somewhere between 95-100% and below 92% is considered unhealthy. Constant low oxygen levels can cause brain damage, short term memory problems and even heart damage.
His condition is worsening quickly and after multiple emergency hospitalizations due to life threatening flare-ups, he is now staying at an assisted living facility while he recovers. His doctor estimated that he only had a year left to live if he doesn't get this surgery. While it's possible for him to outlive these expectations, at this point even a simple cold could potentially turn into bronchitis, and a coughing fit could realistically kill him.
The most frustrating part is that he is medically fit to receive a double lung transplant. He's passed the tests and met all the requirements. He spoke with the specialists in Boston today and the only reason they won't approve the surgery and put him on a transplant list is because he doesn't have all the funds to cover all of the medical care. He is very fortunate in that his insurance will cover the lung transplant itself and all of the medications, however he urgently needs money to cover other expenses. These other expenses include transportation to and from Boston twice a week for a month (about a 2 hour train ride), food, reimbursement for 24 hour care for a month after the surgery, and gas to travel to pulmonary rehab and various doctors appointments.
Getting this double lung transplant could give my dad his life back. He would be able to do the things he loves and not have to worry about doing simple tasks like cooking food or bending down to pick up his cat. This disease has taken so much away from him already, and no one deserves to die just because they don't have money. It kills me to put it so bluntly, but my father will die if he doesn't get this lung transplant soon. It can take months of being on the donation list before a match is found, and every minute counts.
For those of you reading this, anything at all you could donate would be sincerely appreciated and would go directly to my father's medical care. No amount is too small, but if you can't afford to donate, sharing this campaign to your friends would be just as helpful. If you have any questions about the campaign, or if you know Robert personally and want to help bring him food while he recovers or write him letters please feel free to email me through the contact link on the campaign page. Thank you so much, it means a lot to all of us.
My dad used to be a very active person, but his COPD has made that impossible now. He would often go fishing and hiking, and he loved his job as a house painter. He's an avid Jimi Hendrix fan and used to play his guitar for several hours a day. Now, his lung function is only between 11- 18% and his blood oxygen level dips to 74% with even minor exertion like simply standing up from the couch and walking to the kitchen. A healthy blood oxygen level is somewhere between 95-100% and below 92% is considered unhealthy. Constant low oxygen levels can cause brain damage, short term memory problems and even heart damage.
His condition is worsening quickly and after multiple emergency hospitalizations due to life threatening flare-ups, he is now staying at an assisted living facility while he recovers. His doctor estimated that he only had a year left to live if he doesn't get this surgery. While it's possible for him to outlive these expectations, at this point even a simple cold could potentially turn into bronchitis, and a coughing fit could realistically kill him.
The most frustrating part is that he is medically fit to receive a double lung transplant. He's passed the tests and met all the requirements. He spoke with the specialists in Boston today and the only reason they won't approve the surgery and put him on a transplant list is because he doesn't have all the funds to cover all of the medical care. He is very fortunate in that his insurance will cover the lung transplant itself and all of the medications, however he urgently needs money to cover other expenses. These other expenses include transportation to and from Boston twice a week for a month (about a 2 hour train ride), food, reimbursement for 24 hour care for a month after the surgery, and gas to travel to pulmonary rehab and various doctors appointments.
Getting this double lung transplant could give my dad his life back. He would be able to do the things he loves and not have to worry about doing simple tasks like cooking food or bending down to pick up his cat. This disease has taken so much away from him already, and no one deserves to die just because they don't have money. It kills me to put it so bluntly, but my father will die if he doesn't get this lung transplant soon. It can take months of being on the donation list before a match is found, and every minute counts.
For those of you reading this, anything at all you could donate would be sincerely appreciated and would go directly to my father's medical care. No amount is too small, but if you can't afford to donate, sharing this campaign to your friends would be just as helpful. If you have any questions about the campaign, or if you know Robert personally and want to help bring him food while he recovers or write him letters please feel free to email me through the contact link on the campaign page. Thank you so much, it means a lot to all of us.
Organizer
Amanda Taylor
Organizer
Portland, OR
