Steve’s lung transplant journey

Thank you for considering assisting the Shaffer family with transplant living expenses. As part of being accepted into the Northwestern Lung Transplant program, Steve will be required to stay within 50 miles of the hospital for 3-4 months once he is discharged from the hospital. They considered many options to relocate outside the city, but given Steve’s complicated medical history, they decided the closer to the hospital the better. The ability to get to his team when problems arise promptly will be critical to his recovery. If they were to relocate to a suburb, a 20-mile drive could take 1-2 hours depending on the traffic. Living close to the hospital will mean access to quick care will be one thing they won’t need to worry about and can focus on his rehab. Not knowing when they will get the call for new lungs makes planning difficult. NW had recommended many great apartments that have worked with NW transplant patients in the past. They will look to rent an apartment on a short-term lease which hopefully will all line up. Another condition to being able to enter the program is to have 24/7 care. Two people have to be available and ready at any time to handle his care. Bethany and several other relatives and friends will take turns with this part. They will help him get to his appointments, assist with rehab, and ensure he is taking his medications timely. At the same time, Bethany will be juggling spending time with the three kids. We hope that she can travel home often to give them some sort of normalcy during this difficult time. Also, another important part of Steve’s rehab and mental well-being will be having the entire family together during that three months. Steve has been a stay-at-home parent since his daughter was born over 15 years ago. Bethany and the kids are his world. Having an accommodating space during this time to make memories and heal will go a long way in Steve’s recovery. Thank you for your consideration of assistance.