Support Tina's Fight for Life

Hey there! My name is Tina, let me tell you about myself and my situation. I'm 36 years old and was born with a chronic illness, Cystic Fibrosis (CF to those of us who have it). It affects the cells in my body that produce mucus, sweat, and the digestive fluids causing them to be thicker than normal. As a result the mucus gets stuck in my lungs airways and is very difficult to remove. This has caused me to get several respiratory infections requiring a lot of medications and long hospital stays over the years. It was after one of those hospital stays for sepsis and pneumonia that damaged my lungs requiring me to need oxygen 24/7 now. After years of non-invasive treatment my lung function is now sitting at 29% on a good day.

I’m now in what is called, “End Stage Cystic Fibrosis”. Meaning I have to have a transplant to save my life. I have always been an active person and live my life to the fullest despite my illness. So when my CF doctor told me that it was now time for a double-lung transplant, my world felt like it was crashing around me. If that heartbreaking news wasn't enough of a shock, I was told by insurance they won't cover much of the aftercare, and none of the evaluation tests or the actual transplant surgery. After reaching out to all the sources I was given from Emory, Atlanta, it was by God's grace I found a way to be able to go through with the transplant. Emory's transplant has several requirements, some being that my caregiver and I move 5 minutes from the hospital after being discharged from the hospital. I still have to be able to financially support the aftercare which includes; gas to and from appointments, lodging, food, and pay for caregivers.

The amount of time we will have to live there is unknown. It is all depending on just how well my body heals from surgery. This is going to be a long road to recovery and a lifetime change for myself. For those that know me, you know I am always in the kitchen making something yummy for friends and family. With that said I’m more than willing to whip up treats, jellies and other goodies in exchange for donations. All donations will be going to my Georgia Transplant Foundation Account with a goal set of $25,000. Any donations would be a blessing. Thank you for taking the time to learn about me and for any help you see fit to give.