Hi I’m Bev’s sister, Barbara. Let me tell you her story.

She has been suffering from a debilitating lung disease for about 4 years. It’s called polycystic fibrosis. She didn’t do anything to get this disease, it just showed up suddenly. She struggles every day to breathe. Just walking across the room takes her breath away and leaves her gasping! Her best hope for survival has been a lung transplant. She has been working with her doctor at UW medical center then the transplant team in Phoenix, AZ. She has taken every medication they prescribed, lost over 100 lbs, done strength training ( in spite of her breathlessness), she met all the qualifications and was fully accepted and placed at the top of the transplant list.

One of the medications, an immunosuppressant, gave her chronic diarrhea (for the last 6months) which sapped all her strength, on top of everything else. About 3 weeks ago she was called and said it was time, they had lungs! But she couldn’t get to the car… she was too weak. They called an ambulance and they took her to the ER. A few days later the transplant team told her she had to be taken off the list and that would be permanent. She was no longer a candidate for the transplant because she couldn’t tolerate the immunosuppressant drugs.

Upon hearing this news, Bev went downhill quickly. She’s been so determined but just couldn’t fight anymore. She was severely malnourished and depressed. With the help of my physician brother, Dick, she has been getting TPN, which is an IV source of nutrition. She has been too weak to chew, so this has given her strength and we have seen marked improvement in the last few days, Praise God!!!

Our dilemma now is that we would like to get her closer to home so we can all visit and spend time with her. She would like to go to the coast, “one last time”, and although that is unlikely to happen, my sister Becky has agreed to have her at her home, which is right on Puget Sound, so that may be the next best thing. But we have to get her there. Then there will be care required once she gets there.

She will need an air ambulance service—SO expensive!!! Insurance will not cover that. We have a short time before she will be discharged from the hospital.

Many of you know and love Beverly as we do.

If you are able, please help. Thank you!!!