Josie's "Never give up your dreams"

"I'm nearly 1 year and 10 months out from my double lung transplant. I'll be turning 22 in a month and will celebrate the 2-year anniversary of my transplant on another continent, exploring a country I've never been to, and studying a subject I love, on my own. My time in college has been anything but easy; I spent my freshman year missing out on a lot of the things my peers were able to do because of my declining health before being placed on the transplant list. My sophomore year was spent waiting and waiting, my health further deteriorating to the point of being oxygen dependent during that time (I stayed enrolled in classes part-time and co-produced a play while living like that, which looking back was insane). After realizing that maybe this wasn't going to work out, and wondering if I was going to die in a hospital bed at 20, I got the then unbelievable news that there were lungs available, and sixteen hours later, had the surgery. Then I went through the process of recovering, re-enrolled in classes full-time, acted in some plays, (while struggling to figure out how to live like a "normal" person,) and now, finally, things feel like they've come together. For the first time in my life, I feel that I have some control over it, and that I've got a future.

This research project is incredibly exciting on its own, but it's so much more than just research to me. It's the culmination of the work I've put into finding myself, discovering what I love, deciding what I want, and going for it. I've learned a lot of things over the past year and ten months, among them, to never stop dreaming about what can be and fighting to make it happen. It's been a rough road, but every time someone asks me if it's been worth it, my answer will always be yes.

I also want to acknowledge my donor. None of this, the returning to school, enrolling in acting class, performing at Northwestern, falling in love with Shakespeare, deciding that I wanted to devote some portion of my life to exploring his work, applying for this grant, and earning it would have been possible without an amazing person that I don't even know. A selfless person, and his/her family, gave a gift that created life from death, and everything I ever do, I will do only because of this person. As proud as I am of my accomplishments, nothing I ever do will be as remarkable as what my donor and his/her family have done for me."

What Josie is talking about is the fact that she was given a grant to to to England for 3 months to study Shakespeare, a passion of hers, an opportunity she never saw possible.  The problem we face is that the grant is meant for the college student to stay in youth hostels (which are very cheap) and because of the fact that Josie is immunosuppressed, these are not the best places for her to be.  They are crowded, not private and not necessarily the cleanest accomodations.  Josie is looking into staying with familys or at in the Universtities housing but the cost of this type of housing is more then the grant covers.

Unfortunately, with another child off to college this fall, we are not in a position to help her.  We did not realize unitil just now that the grant was not going to be enough to cover the kind of housing she would need and she leaves on June 15th and will be remaining in England until September.  We would all really like her to be able to stay in sanitary and safe housing so that the research project she never thought possible does not turn into a hospital stay.  

Any donation you can give would be greatly appreciated! Please also pass this along to anyone who might be interested in helping this remarkable girl, live her remarkable dream in what has become a remarkable life.