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Mildred J. Gerald: Transplant Fund

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A decade ago, my mother, Mildred Jones Gerald led an ordinarily normal healthy lifestyle.  She was working in a very rewarding career, in education in the Carrboro-Chapel Hill school system. Favorite past times included spending time with her family and friends.  Additional interests include participating in church-related activities, gardening, traveling and reading.     

In 2009, that all changed.  She was experiencing flu like symptoms that did not improve in spite of taking several prescribed medications. After about three weeks, she was admitted to the hospital for a diagnosis of pneumonia and later diabetes. Upon discharge, she was referred to a pulmonologist who scheduled tests with several connective tissue disease specialists in hopes of identifying the causes of the symptoms.  Neither the tests nor the biopsy revealed the cause.  After additional testing it was later determined that she had Pulmonary Fibrosis. 

Since then, Mildred has experienced a steady decline in her overall health.  She was forced to retire in 2014 due to the complications of her Pulmonary Fibrosis.  She is currently on oxygen 100% of the time as she leads her daily life.  Her disease has progressed to the stage where she now needs a double lung transplant.  Shortly after Thanksgiving 2017, she was placed on the Lung Transplant Recipient List at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.  She was blessed to receive a double lung transplant on December 31, 2017.

Even after the lung transplant, there’s a long road to recovery.  The average lung transplant costs more than a million dollars, and that’s only the beginning. Even with her health insurance, which will cover most of the cost of the transplant, she faces significant expenses related to the surgery. There are aspects of care and recovery (including copays, medication, transport and much more) that are not covered by insurance.  She will require follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications. Post-transplant medications are very expensive, and they’re as critical to her survival as the transplant itself.  That’s where I hope you can help.

I am setting up this fund to assist her with transplant-related costs.  All funds received will be used for those specific purposes.  If you would like to assist with costs related to her surgery, please donate. No amount is too small and we will be eternally grateful for your assistance and prayers.

To know her is to love her.  With a kind heart and gentle spirit, Mildred has always been willing to help anyone.  At this point, she needs our help.  Please assist us in helping her.  She cherishes her faith, her family and her many wonderful friends.

Thank you for your continued prayers and generosity!
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Donations 

  • Sheila Smith
    • $100 
    • 6 yrs
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Organizer

Nick Jones
Organizer
Durham, NC

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