Help Mary Gianos Schiller Breathe a Sigh of Relief
Donation protected
On December 7, 2018, Mary Gianos Schiller’s life long battle with Cystic Fibrosis culminated, as she dramatically received a double lung transplant at UPenn Medical Center in Philadelphia. The road leading up to this miraculous day has been lengthy and difficult, though Mary’s fighting spirit has helped her beat the odds and gratefully, get to this moment. Mary, and her loving family, now embark on a brand new and equally challenging journey.
And while Mary, and her husband, Mark, have been preparing for this for many years, we decided to establish this Go Fund Me campaign with the goal of raising $20,000 for the Schiller family. Along with your kind wellness thoughts and prayers, your donation will directly support them financially. Mary’s extensive post operative recovery requires that she remain in Philadelphia for several months after she is discharged from the hospital and temporary housing is just one of the countless, both known and unknown, aspects of her road to recovery. So, we are asking for your support, as Mary’s journey to wellness continues....
Here are some more details on Mary’s remarkable story:
As a teen, her doctors incorrectly thought her breathing difficulties were due to allergies. Eventually, at 18, she was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a genetic disorder which causes the build up of mucus in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. The build up interferes with normal breathing by clogging the airways with mucus resulting in infections, lung damage, and ultimately, respiratory failure. This mucus also invades the pancreas and causes malabsorption of essential nutrients needed for proper growth. When Mary was diagnosed, the median survival age for a person with CF was less than 20 years, and that statistic included children who were known to have CF and were being treated. At the tender age of 18, Mary was already a statistical miracle!
Determined and focused, she accepted her diagnosis and went on to earn her college degree, entered the working world, met and married Mark, and became the mother of two sons, Brian and Justin, both now in college. Mary, ever strong, continued to persevere as a wife, mother, friend, volunteer, despite the escalating impact this disease was having on her lungs. She was determined to see both of her boys graduate high school, even if it meant risking her health by delaying necessary and life saving medical intervention - a lung transplant.
After extensive medical testing and evaluations at UPenn Medical Center, Mary was told she was eligible for a bilateral lung transplant and was placed “on the list.” Being on a transplant list is complicated - there is no knowing when, or if, Mary would be the fortunate recipient of a life-saving lung transplant. Fast forward to November 11, 2018, the day after her 56th birthday (nearly three times the median survival age of patients with CF). Mary, who had been fighting a respiratory virus at home, was admitted to Hartford Hospital with double pneumonia. Mary was gravely ill. She was air-lifted to UPenn Medical Center for further treatment and due to her critical status, was placed at the “top of the list” for a pair of donor lungs. On December 6, Mary and Mark received the news that Mary would be the recipient of new lungs and after a 9-hour operation, the skilled surgeons at UPenn were able to share with Mark that the surgery was a success! Mary “did better than expected” and the lungs “fit perfectly.” It’s no surprise to family and friends that Mary is continuing to show strength and determination in her recovery and continue to defy the odds!
It is important to mention at this point in the story, how truly thankful Mary and her family and friends are, that she was the recipient of such a selfless gift from an anonymous donor. It is not lost on anyone involved, that in order for us to celebrate this amazing miracle, there are others who are grieving the loss of their cherished family member and friend. We send our prayers of comfort and gratitude to this unknown family. We remain in awe of this extraordinary and generous miracle!
So, as we celebrate the first of what we hope will be many miracles for Mary, we invite you to join us with a contribution in support of this very deserving woman and her family, as they begin to navigate the complexities of the challenges ahead. And, in advance, we are grateful and thank you for your very meaningful generosity. We also wish to share that where there is breath, there is hope…
Sincerely,
The Friends of Mary Schiller
And while Mary, and her husband, Mark, have been preparing for this for many years, we decided to establish this Go Fund Me campaign with the goal of raising $20,000 for the Schiller family. Along with your kind wellness thoughts and prayers, your donation will directly support them financially. Mary’s extensive post operative recovery requires that she remain in Philadelphia for several months after she is discharged from the hospital and temporary housing is just one of the countless, both known and unknown, aspects of her road to recovery. So, we are asking for your support, as Mary’s journey to wellness continues....
Here are some more details on Mary’s remarkable story:
As a teen, her doctors incorrectly thought her breathing difficulties were due to allergies. Eventually, at 18, she was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a genetic disorder which causes the build up of mucus in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. The build up interferes with normal breathing by clogging the airways with mucus resulting in infections, lung damage, and ultimately, respiratory failure. This mucus also invades the pancreas and causes malabsorption of essential nutrients needed for proper growth. When Mary was diagnosed, the median survival age for a person with CF was less than 20 years, and that statistic included children who were known to have CF and were being treated. At the tender age of 18, Mary was already a statistical miracle!
Determined and focused, she accepted her diagnosis and went on to earn her college degree, entered the working world, met and married Mark, and became the mother of two sons, Brian and Justin, both now in college. Mary, ever strong, continued to persevere as a wife, mother, friend, volunteer, despite the escalating impact this disease was having on her lungs. She was determined to see both of her boys graduate high school, even if it meant risking her health by delaying necessary and life saving medical intervention - a lung transplant.
After extensive medical testing and evaluations at UPenn Medical Center, Mary was told she was eligible for a bilateral lung transplant and was placed “on the list.” Being on a transplant list is complicated - there is no knowing when, or if, Mary would be the fortunate recipient of a life-saving lung transplant. Fast forward to November 11, 2018, the day after her 56th birthday (nearly three times the median survival age of patients with CF). Mary, who had been fighting a respiratory virus at home, was admitted to Hartford Hospital with double pneumonia. Mary was gravely ill. She was air-lifted to UPenn Medical Center for further treatment and due to her critical status, was placed at the “top of the list” for a pair of donor lungs. On December 6, Mary and Mark received the news that Mary would be the recipient of new lungs and after a 9-hour operation, the skilled surgeons at UPenn were able to share with Mark that the surgery was a success! Mary “did better than expected” and the lungs “fit perfectly.” It’s no surprise to family and friends that Mary is continuing to show strength and determination in her recovery and continue to defy the odds!
It is important to mention at this point in the story, how truly thankful Mary and her family and friends are, that she was the recipient of such a selfless gift from an anonymous donor. It is not lost on anyone involved, that in order for us to celebrate this amazing miracle, there are others who are grieving the loss of their cherished family member and friend. We send our prayers of comfort and gratitude to this unknown family. We remain in awe of this extraordinary and generous miracle!
So, as we celebrate the first of what we hope will be many miracles for Mary, we invite you to join us with a contribution in support of this very deserving woman and her family, as they begin to navigate the complexities of the challenges ahead. And, in advance, we are grateful and thank you for your very meaningful generosity. We also wish to share that where there is breath, there is hope…
Sincerely,
The Friends of Mary Schiller
Fundraising team: Friends of Mary Schiller (5)
Karen Bassett
Organizer
Fairfield, CT
Kim McGillicuddy Price
Team member
Alicia Vander Wiele Casucci
Team member
Christine Okerblom Engel
Team member
Mary Schiller
Team member
