Support for Diane's Hopsitalization and Recovery

Hello. We are a group of Diane's best-est friends from Chicago, IL and Murray, KY.  We are fundraising to help support Diane and her family during Diane's hospitalization and recent diagnosis of Organizing Pneumonia - a rare lung condition affecting the small airways (bronchioles) and alveoli (tiny air sacs).

 

Over Christmas, Diane developed pneumonia symptoms while visiting her parents for the holidays. She went to the health clinic where they recommended that she be admitted to Lake Forest Hospital. She remained at Lake Forest Hospital for a couple of days, treated for pneumonia, and then discharged. She rested at her parents' house for the remainder of the trip. Still, simple activities like talking and putting on a shirt left her breathless and her heart rate high. A flight of stairs took her 5 minutes.

 

Diane returned to Murray, KY (by car) with her family the first week of January. At a follow-up visit with her doctors in Murray post-hospitalization in Chicago, it was recommended that Diane be readmitted to the hospital, but due to the COVID Omicron surge, there were ZERO beds available for her in Murray. The only treatment option available was outpatient, in her home with an oxygen tank and self-administered steroid shots. Then, on February 1 (three weeks since returning to Murray), Diane had another follow-up with her medical team. She showed no improvement from outpatient treatment. Her medical team immediately secured a bed for her at Vanderbilt in Nashville, where she was transported by helicopter and admitted to the ICU. There, they did a battery of tests, and at one point Diane was put on a ventilator. Diane was subsequently diagnosed with Organizing Pneumonia. She spent 10 days in the hospital (several of those days on a ventilator). Late last week, Diane was finally discharged and deemed "medically stable." It was great news for all who love and have been worried about her. However, just 2 days later, she was readmitted to Vanderbilt. Her medical team is working around the clock to find a treatment that works. As of today, Diane is still hospitalized in Nashville, hours away from her husband Kevin and her son. She will be moved to ICU soon for closer monitoring.

 

For those who don't know Diane, any one of her MANY friends will tell you the same thing. She is an amazing friend (seriously, the most amazing friend anyone could ask for), she is a wonderful wife and mother to Kevin and their son, and on top of all that, she has an incredible sense of humor. :) She has brought so much light and warmth into the lives of those who are so lucky to call her a friend.

 

We are raising funds to help support Diane, Kevin, and their son during what will no doubt be a very LONG recovery (if anyone reading this has had any form of pneumonia, you know how long this road is). While Diane has health insurance, she will still have medical bills for her deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance, plus any excess cost that goes beyond the limit of what insurance will pay. Diane will most likely need OT and PT as well to regain her strength as she has not been able to move much the last couple of months. As Diane focuses on her recovery, she will be unable to perform even the simplest of tasks like cleaning, cooking, walking the dogs, and taking care of her son. Recovery from Organizing Pneumonia is typically 6-12 months. These funds will also help Diane and Kevin to be able to pay for services that can assist should they need them.