Mackenzie is a 37 year old disabled veteran of the United States Navy. He and his wife, Maria, have been married for 13 years and met while both were active duty. In 2015, just two weeks after the birth of their twin boys, Mackenzie had a lung biopsy which resulted in his Interstitial Lung Disease diagnosis. His disease has progressed more rapidly than anyone predicted, doctors included. Mackenzie needs to recieve a double lung transplant. He was listed on August 20th.
During the process we were made aware of the financial strain this will put on our family as well as the timing. He could get a donor anywhere from 2 weeks to 5 months from now.
As of October 23, 2024 Mackenzie has been hospitalized for 100 days. We have experienced one "dry run" which means a match was made but the donor lungs were not viable. We are all very hopeful to get a vaiable match soon but the road ahead of us is still long and uncertain.
12/6 UPDATE: Today Mackenzie received the amazing gift of new lungs. Surgery went well and now we are on the long road of recovery.
We are raising money to go into a special account to help with medical bills, medication, travel and other expenses associated with his ongoing care. Your support is greatly appreciated.