Elaine needs a wheelchair van

June 20, 2006. Kidney donation day from Linda to Elaine. Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Ohio.

#GoBeyondGiving
My sister Elaine Barberic Sudina is such a fighter. She has struggled with diabetes since her teens, and lately, the disease is getting the best of her.

In 2005, she went into renal kidney failure,  and dialysis was no longer an option for her.  Her life was in danger and I gave her one of my kidneys - it was the best day of my life!  One year later she received a pancreas from a cadaver and now she is no longer insulin dependent.

However, so much damage had already been done at that point that her health continued to deteriorate.  Elaine lost her right eye to blindness and now has a prosthetic eye.

As do many diabetics, she suffered from multiple foot ulcers and last year one infected her bone. She could not beat the infection and needed to have her right leg amputated below her knee.  After months of rehab, she was just starting to walk on her prostethic leg - it was amazing and we were all so hopeful for her future!

Then, only a few months later - this past August - she had a severe brain hemorrhage.  It took the rest of her sight in her remaining eye, and paralyzed her left arm and leg.

Elaine spent a month in the Cleveland Clinic Neuro CICU. For the first few months Elaine needed help doing everything from eating and drinking to sitting up in bed. She fought and got stronger every day, until eventually she was moved to a skilled nursing facility, where she currently resides. 

In rehab, Elaine was starting to learn to work her legs and to walk, as you can see from this video. However, her Medicare physical therapy coverage ran out and she no longer qualifies for any further physical or occupational therapy.  She has very limited mobility coming back to her left leg. Sadly, her left arm is permanently paralyzed and her vision is also gone: she is now completely blind.

A nursing home is no place for a 47-year-old and we are doing everything we can to get her home.
She is still fighting for life and loves to go to Karaoke every Wednesday night!

In working with a few amazing organizations and friends, we had a ramp installed in her home and had her bath remodeled to accommodate her disabilities.

Elaine is my angel and is surrounded by so many people who love and want to help her.  Her classmates at Brooklyn High School - Class of 1986 decided to start this go fund me campaign and they plan to surprise her with the funding gift at their 30 year class reunion weekend events June 18 & 19th, 2016. The funding will be used to get her a wheelchair van,  as she currently needs to be lifted in and out of her wheelchair for transportation. This will allow for my parents, family and her fiancée to get her around. We would also like to bring in our own physical therapist to work with her to regain any ability to walk or stand on her own.

Will you help? Any amount will be so appreciated, by so many people. #GoBeyondGiving


I want to thank Van from KV Builders for his work on her bathroom and Sarah from the Services for Independent Living, for all her amazing help and wisdom. Jeannie W and all her friends, for being the best friends in the whole world. Her fiancee, Dave for his continued love and care for Elaine.  All my friends for their support and love. My siblings,  and all their spouses and all my nieces and nephews for all the time, prayers, visits and support. I also want to thank Keith for giving me so much time off to take care of Elaine. Most of all I want to thank my parents, Tom and Gladys Barberic, I have no idea what we would do without them.

Thank you everyone from deep in my heart - I love you, and we all love Elaine.

In hope, Linda Barberic (Elaine’s sister and kidney donor) #GoBeyondGiving