Kim's Lung Transplant Fund
Donation protected
Hi,
I'm Aniyah Fuller! When I was six years old, my mom was suddenly admitted to the hospital. I had to stay with my grandmother for a while and was told she’d be ok and not to worry. After two weeks of not seeing my mother, I knew something was wrong and was told “she went to sleep and they’re waiting for her to wake up”. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just go to the hospital to see her, but I waited.
My mother got bacterial meningitis while working for a clinic as a health educator. She went to Wilmed and was airlifted to UNC. She fell into a coma for almost 2 months, and no one under 18 could go into the intensive care unit. Her organs failed, she was on dialysis, she had diabetes, and her lungs collapsed. My amazing father was instantly a single dad as my mother was in the hospital for 4 months. When she finally came out of her coma, I went to visit her and remember having to wear a yellow gown and a mask. When I saw her, she had a tube going down her throat to eat and breathe, and I asked why she was shaking. My dad explained that the coma left her muscles really weak. She was trying to talk, but her words were mushed together. We gave her a piece of paper, but she just wrote squiggly lines. I realized she couldn’t speak or write or walk… or do anything. But I was just so happy to finally see her, I didn’t care about anything else.
I was in the room when they told her she had lupus. I thought they’d give her medicine and it’d go away like a cold. I spent Christmas with her at the hospital. On my birthday, nurses came in to sing happy birthday to me. And in late March she was finally home.
When I was 9, I finally understood what lupus was. My grades started slipping, I lost interest in school, and I felt no need to open up my feelings because there was so much going on. Even therapy didn’t open me up. I was constantly bullied, had low interest in what my peers were into, and in the 5th grade I got beat up at school. Mom started wearing oxygen, and I started losing my hair in the 6th grade. The bullying continued.
My mom put me in a different school, and I’ve made honor roll since. My mom is so present with us. She is full of life and positivity. We do crafts as a family, and she’s just the easiest person to talk to. I’ve had thoughts of “why me” and “why us” and my mom said it’s ok for me to have thoughts like that. She’s shown me how strong we are as a family.
Now that I’m in high school, my mom’s health has been deteriorating. My little brother started kindergarten, and when he asks me questions, it makes me reflect back to when I was 6 years old. I feel like a 2nd mom to him. My mom can’t breathe that well, so I do everything I can to help. I take him to school, make sure homework is done, and I try to keep him busy. When mom is not here, I do what she would do with dinner and everything. I try to make it as normal as possible. His grades slip when my mom goes to the hospital. He is very sensitive, so I try to protect him. I do fun things with him like go to the community center, take him to karate, and take him to my high school games with me.
Right now, she only has 29% lung function and is on 24/7 oxygen therapy. She just completed 6 months of chemotherapy in preparation for a lung transplant. This November, my parents will meet with her lung transplant team. They’ve been paying out of pocket to qualify, and once she’s officially on the list, they will require the percentage her insurance won't cover. Out of pocket cost of the therapy, rehab, and aftercare costs $52,000. My parents tell me it’s none of my concern. Just to be a kid. Just to be a teenager. I try not to think about it, but I do because I need her, and she needs this life saving procedure.
Thank you so much for reading this. Thank you so much for supporting my mom’s journey. Thank you so much Aunt Shon White for helping me do this! I will keep this page updated for those following our story! Check back for our happy ending!!!
I'm Aniyah Fuller! When I was six years old, my mom was suddenly admitted to the hospital. I had to stay with my grandmother for a while and was told she’d be ok and not to worry. After two weeks of not seeing my mother, I knew something was wrong and was told “she went to sleep and they’re waiting for her to wake up”. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just go to the hospital to see her, but I waited.
My mother got bacterial meningitis while working for a clinic as a health educator. She went to Wilmed and was airlifted to UNC. She fell into a coma for almost 2 months, and no one under 18 could go into the intensive care unit. Her organs failed, she was on dialysis, she had diabetes, and her lungs collapsed. My amazing father was instantly a single dad as my mother was in the hospital for 4 months. When she finally came out of her coma, I went to visit her and remember having to wear a yellow gown and a mask. When I saw her, she had a tube going down her throat to eat and breathe, and I asked why she was shaking. My dad explained that the coma left her muscles really weak. She was trying to talk, but her words were mushed together. We gave her a piece of paper, but she just wrote squiggly lines. I realized she couldn’t speak or write or walk… or do anything. But I was just so happy to finally see her, I didn’t care about anything else.
I was in the room when they told her she had lupus. I thought they’d give her medicine and it’d go away like a cold. I spent Christmas with her at the hospital. On my birthday, nurses came in to sing happy birthday to me. And in late March she was finally home.
When I was 9, I finally understood what lupus was. My grades started slipping, I lost interest in school, and I felt no need to open up my feelings because there was so much going on. Even therapy didn’t open me up. I was constantly bullied, had low interest in what my peers were into, and in the 5th grade I got beat up at school. Mom started wearing oxygen, and I started losing my hair in the 6th grade. The bullying continued.
My mom put me in a different school, and I’ve made honor roll since. My mom is so present with us. She is full of life and positivity. We do crafts as a family, and she’s just the easiest person to talk to. I’ve had thoughts of “why me” and “why us” and my mom said it’s ok for me to have thoughts like that. She’s shown me how strong we are as a family.
Now that I’m in high school, my mom’s health has been deteriorating. My little brother started kindergarten, and when he asks me questions, it makes me reflect back to when I was 6 years old. I feel like a 2nd mom to him. My mom can’t breathe that well, so I do everything I can to help. I take him to school, make sure homework is done, and I try to keep him busy. When mom is not here, I do what she would do with dinner and everything. I try to make it as normal as possible. His grades slip when my mom goes to the hospital. He is very sensitive, so I try to protect him. I do fun things with him like go to the community center, take him to karate, and take him to my high school games with me.
Right now, she only has 29% lung function and is on 24/7 oxygen therapy. She just completed 6 months of chemotherapy in preparation for a lung transplant. This November, my parents will meet with her lung transplant team. They’ve been paying out of pocket to qualify, and once she’s officially on the list, they will require the percentage her insurance won't cover. Out of pocket cost of the therapy, rehab, and aftercare costs $52,000. My parents tell me it’s none of my concern. Just to be a kid. Just to be a teenager. I try not to think about it, but I do because I need her, and she needs this life saving procedure.
Thank you so much for reading this. Thank you so much for supporting my mom’s journey. Thank you so much Aunt Shon White for helping me do this! I will keep this page updated for those following our story! Check back for our happy ending!!!
Organizer
Aniyah Fuller
Organizer
Wilson, NC
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