Hi,

Our names are Sarina, Alijah & Nayel and let us introduce you to the greatest grandpa of all- Furqan Ahmed Khan.

Last year, at the age of 53, our grandpa suddenly experienced severe and debilitating shortness of breath which did not resolve. After months of running various examinations and tests (X-ray, CT Scans, blood work and pulmonary examinations) our grandpa was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). If he does not receive a double lung transplant, he will never come off of oxygen and the condition is terminal, meaning that our grandpa will not see us grow up…

Time after time, our grandpa has persevered and defied the odds stacked against him. Born in Pakistan, a civil war plagued the country in his youth, and at the age of 27, he escaped to find refuge in one of the greatest countries, Canada. Not speaking any English and having no family or friends to support him, he managed to work day and night as a refugee, earning as little as $4/hour, and was eventually able to bring his family to live with him and start a new life in Calgary, AB. Our grandpa has 4 children, Nav, Akay, Zain & Alina.

During his time in Canada he has built a meaningful life surrounded by friends, family, and community. He is an active member of the Pakistani community and helps with youth social engagement, fundraising events, and giving back through donations and charity work.

Timeline of Illness:

Oct 13, 2022- Grandpa put on 2 LPM (litre per minute)

December 2022 – Oxygen increased to 3-4 LPM

March 21, 2023 – Oxygen needs doubled, to 6-10 LPM

April 20, 2023 – Oxygen threshold is now 8-10 LPM

April 24, 2023 – Grandpa’s oxygen needs tripled to 12-16 LPM

April 27, 2023 – Some good news, grandpa is officially candidate for a double lung transplant procedure. However, this is not without complication- the doctor has that a transplant is like trading one disease (IPF) for several others, but it is still the best option for him

May 5, 2023- Grandpa rushed to the emergency room, his oxygen needs are now upwards of 30 LPM. He is bedridden and still awaiting a double lung transplant

May 9, 2023 - Grandpa's condition seems to be getting worse every day. The CO2 levels in his blood have increased drastically. He remains on 30LPM. The doctor has decided to airlift him to a pulmonary specialty center in Edmonton

May 10 2023 - 7am Grandpa started experiencing Dyspnea and oxygen level (SPO2) dropped below 25%( Anything below 70% can be life threatening.) he was immediately moved to ICU with oxygen intake upto 80 LPM. If it does not improve, he will be put on a ventilator or extracorporeal. He is still awaiting his new lungs. we are very worried for him…

May 11 2023- Grandpa is bit stable on 50LPM, in the ICU, and his oxygen saturations are back up in the 90%.

About IPF

The reason this destructive disease begins with Idiopathic is due to the cause being unknown. Typically average human takes 25,000 breaths per day, something so easy to take forgranted. Unfortunately the millions of little bags (alveoli) found in the lungs of our granpa have scarring which is slowly reducing the number of breaths he is able to take each day. As a result, he constantly has to be on oxygen. (Anything over 80l requires 24/7 ventilator). The only solution the doctors have suggested is a double lung transplant. The lung specialists have stated his case to be quite severe, ranking him as a a level 2 (Ranging from 0-2) which is considered the worse case.

The Good News & How Your Funds Will Help

Despite all the bad news over the past 7 months, grandpa Furquan has been qualified for the Double lung transplant procedure after undergoing vigorous testing. He has been listed at level 2 of priority. He is currently 1 of 2 in ICU waiting for a donor. Unfortunately, the surgery can only be performed in Edmonton. An estimate of the typical expenses the doctors / social worker have given us is about $35,000-$40,000. Your generous donations will be going towards the following: