Where to begin... Anyone who knows Dona will tell you that she is quick-witted, caring, spunky, loving, and full of life. Dona has dedicated over 40 years to helping others in need as an RN, only pausing to take care of my dad, the love of her life, when he was in need. After Jack passed, she moved to California and continued her career helping others while attending school to become a Nurse Practitioner. Dona was working in the Emergency Room when COVID hit and she never missed a beat. She worked tireless shifts day after day helping fight the battle against COVID. Life was forever altered one day when she contracted COVID. At first, the worst part was not being able to do much, but that would soon change. On Sept 18, 2021, Dona was admitted to the hospital, this time as a patient instead of a caregiver. On Sept 25th she was intubated due to her rapidly declining condition and placed into a medically induced coma. After months in the ICU on a ventilator she was finally able to breathe on her own when the ventilator was removed on 12/25/2021. After spending several more weeks in a rehab facility she was finally able to go home with supplied oxygen. Dona was asked about a lung transplant and she initially declined so that others in need could have the lungs. Dona was confident that she would be back at work after a couple of months of rehab. After months of rehab, she began the required testing for the lung transplant due to her continued declining condition. Finally, after months of testing, she was given the all-clear for her initial consultation with the transplant team on Feb 9, 2023. She was immediately admitted to the hospital due to the severity of her condition. She has officially been listed on the transplant list and she is listed as a high-priority recipient due to her current condition. While many transplant recipients have months to years to wait and plan, Dona has days to weeks to plan. Being out of work for over a year, having to pay COBRA costs for insurance, and bills that don't stop coming in while you are sick have added up, quickly depleting her and Scott's nest egg. After the transplant, she is required to stay nearby the hospital for 8 weeks with nearly daily follow-up appointments. The transplant team has been amazing in providing all information possible to her and the family including a list of approved places to stay after the surgery. This is where we are asking for your help... Looking through the list one of the cheaper options will be about $8400 for the duration of the stay. This will not include food, travel, or other living expenses. We are asking for your help, in any amount, to help cover these costs. You may also check Dona's Facebook page for other ways to donate. Thank you for your time to read and thank you in advance for your contributions.

-Jackie and Jeffery Mitchell