Help My Dad Get His New Lungs!

My name is Nicole and I'm asking for help on behalf of my dad, Craig. Some of you may know that about 15-ish years ago my dad was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He has struggled for a long time with his breathing and the degeneration of his lungs. Over time it's gotten worse and made doing every day tasks harder and harder. Unfortunately it seems like in the last 5-6 years it's gotten much worse. He has been unable to walk more than 15-20 feet without taking breaks and resting. Because of this he was put on supplemental oxygen a few years ago and things have kind of been in a holding place for a while.

On the evening of February 23rd he was experiencing sharp and sudden pain in his left side and it was becoming even more difficult to breathe. An ambulance was called and he was taken to Sutter Hospital in Santa Rosa, CA. After imaging and testing, they found that his left lung had partially collapsed. They admitted him and placed a chest tube in his upper left lung. During this time in the hospital a pulmonologist came to him with a plan for surgery that would hopefully reduce the need for supplemental oxygen, improve his breathing and quality of life. We were all very hopeful and I heard genuine excitement in my dads voice. He was in the hospital for 7 days before stabilizing enough to be discharged.

He left the hospital on Friday, March 1st with a plan in place to immediately begin a pre-rehabilitation program to build his strength and increase his odds of having a successful surgery. He was feeling good, full of energy and ready to do whatever it was he needed to do. But on Sunday evening, March 3rd he was feeling the same sharp pain, this time it was worse. He started having trouble breathing again and after starting to lose consciousness, an ambulance was called. He was taken to Sutter Hospital and had imaging done once again.

This time they discovered that his left lung had fully collapsed. They put another chest tube in and got him ready to be transferred to CPMC Sutter Van Ness in San Francisco. Once he arrived in San Francisco he spent the next 4 days stabilizing enough to be taken into surgery. He had surgery on March 8th and the doctor placed 5 Endobronchial Zephyr Valves in his upper left lung lobe (valves that are placed to prevent air from entering a diseased part of the lung while also letting air escape with the goal of improving lung function by encouraging healthier parts of the lung to expand and lift pressure off of the diaphragm). He was taken to the ICU to recover with the plan to place at least 3 more valves in the lower left lung lobe.

Unfortunately after examining the lower left lung doctors determined that the remaining tissue was not strong enough to hold the valves. Placing the valves would put him at a greater risk for future lung collapse. Instead of placing the valves, on March 11th, doctors took him back into surgery and placed a chest tube into his lower left lung and he was taken back to his room to recover. March 11th is the day that it was determined that the only real solution to healing and preventing future collapse would be a double lung transplant.

This has been a difficult thing to process, we all (my dad included) thought he would be going back home after the second hospital stay. As of now he won't be leaving the hospital until he has new lungs because the risk of collapse is just too high. A double lung transplant is a huge thing and it's a scary thought but it's also really great to think about a version of my dad that can breathe comfortably, play with his grand daughter Hadley, cook dinner like he loves to do, go on walks and everything else. He is very excited for the opportunity to do all of those things and more! He want's this more than anything and is taking all of the steps and doing all of the things to make sure this is successful and that he is able to live longer and happier.

And this is where we have hit our road block and where asking for your help comes in. To receive this double lung transplant my dad has to be transferred to University of California San Francisco (UCSF). The main component for this transfer to happen is that my dad has to obtain a secondary insurance and that insurance has to be active. A Sutter Hospital casework applied for and received approval based on his income for Medi-Cal (his secondary insurance). His only form of income is Social Security Disability and has been for a long time now because of his COPD and the progression of the disease. But Social Security Disability pays my dad $180 a month more than the threshold for no cost insurance through Medi-Cal. Because of that, Medi-Cal requires a $1300 per month deductible before they will be active and take care of his medical bills.

In order for Sutter Hospital to release my dad and begin the transfer, his insurance will need to pay for his multiple month stay. In order for the hospital to be paid, his secondary insurance needs to be active. He is now needing to come up with $1300 before the end of April so that the transfer can take place and he can start this long road ahead of him.

I have made the amount more than the $1300 because if we don't meet the goal before the end of April, he will need to provide Medi-Cal with an additional $1300 for May. The months will continue to add up. Anything extra that is left after Medi-Cal is paid will go to my dad to use for everyday necessities and some added help with bills that are still coming in while he is there. My dad and my family are more than grateful for any amount you choose to donate. And if you aren't able to donate, we're more than grateful for any good thoughts, prayers or shares ❤️ This has been a really long couple of months and I want nothing more than to see my dad get through this rough patch and onto to the next step where there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we all know the end goal is getting closer.