Join in Support of Kimberly

Hi everyone! My name is Elizabeth Hermann. I am the niece of Kimberly Manning Aker. As many of you know, Kimberly has been in the ICU for nearly a month as of today (6/4/24).

From her own words via Facebook she shared: “I’d been having breathing problems after radiation therapy ( 8 months ago) for my breast cancer, where my pulmonologist told me the radiation had given me pneumonitis and permanent fibrosis. Around May 8 it got worse. I went for an urgent appointment with my pulmonologist who took an Xray. Something else was happening to my other lung. So I was admitted to the ER at the Hospital across from San Francisco Lung. There things rapidly declined. I suffered respiratory failure…I was then admitted to ICU where I was put on an air flow oxygen unit... I’m still on a feeding tube but can finally eat and take water. The mysterious thing on my left lung was caused by my other cancer treatment, Verzinio which I’ve been on for a year. The doctors feel now I just need to heal my lungs. As much as possible. Physical therapy is helping as I am horribly diminished.“

I have left out certain aspects of Kimberly’s post that are personal in nature, but I wanted to give a picture of the tremendous challenges she has had to go through over the past 4 weeks.

I, alongside the rest of my family (her dear sister Melissa, niece Kate and nephew John as well as our spouses Josh, Patrick and Tracy) feel incredibly useless as we are states away.

We humbly ask if anyone in our community, or hers, can donate to help Kimberly and her husband Jeff during this insanely emotional and financially trying time.

If you are unable to donate, we also ask to keep Kimberly in your thoughts and send strength to her as she fights to be well again. She so badly wants to continue her wonderful writing, soul fulfilling travel, and life at HOME in her beloved outdoor sanctuary with Jeff. Thank you.