Dad’s Lung Transplant
Donation protected
In 1974, Dad joined the army as a 12B combat engineer in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He served in the military for 23 ½ years being stationed in many locations around the world to include Germany, Hawaii, Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He performed a variety of construction and demolition tasks. These tasks exposed him, on a daily basis, to chemicals, gases, smoke, asbestos and buildings contaminated with bird drippings. These exposures are contributors to a lung disease called Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a terminal illness, which he was diagnosed in 2017 after consulting with numerous pulmonary doctors in Virginia, South Carolina, and Colorado.
Since his diagnosis, IPF has forced him to retire earlier than planned from his second career in transportation management. His health has declined to the degree of which he is now on continuous oxygen. He is unable to do simple everyday tasks.
On February 14th, Dad received a call from INOVA Health System in Falls Church, VA, and received miraculous news that he is #2 on the lung transplant list. A phone call we have anxiously waited for since Dad moved into the advanced stages of this horrific disease. So, our bags are packed and we are ready. Waiting for that phone to ring!!
As many of you can imagine, there are a lot of costs associated with having a lung transplant. Most concerning is the living expenses Mom & Dad will incur while in Falls Church, which is 2 ½ hours away from home. Dad is required to stay there for 6-8 weeks immediately following his transplant. They will also be required to make monthly trips to INOVA for evaluations and tests for 1 year after. This period is most critical for Dad. It is during this time that organ rejection is highest.
I have decided to reach out to family & friends in hopes to alleviate some of their financial burdens. I don’t want Dad to worry about finances while his body is accepting his new organ. Every dollar counts and any donation is humbly appreciated, even if that donation is a prayer.
Thank you a million times over!! We love you!
Since his diagnosis, IPF has forced him to retire earlier than planned from his second career in transportation management. His health has declined to the degree of which he is now on continuous oxygen. He is unable to do simple everyday tasks.
On February 14th, Dad received a call from INOVA Health System in Falls Church, VA, and received miraculous news that he is #2 on the lung transplant list. A phone call we have anxiously waited for since Dad moved into the advanced stages of this horrific disease. So, our bags are packed and we are ready. Waiting for that phone to ring!!
As many of you can imagine, there are a lot of costs associated with having a lung transplant. Most concerning is the living expenses Mom & Dad will incur while in Falls Church, which is 2 ½ hours away from home. Dad is required to stay there for 6-8 weeks immediately following his transplant. They will also be required to make monthly trips to INOVA for evaluations and tests for 1 year after. This period is most critical for Dad. It is during this time that organ rejection is highest.
I have decided to reach out to family & friends in hopes to alleviate some of their financial burdens. I don’t want Dad to worry about finances while his body is accepting his new organ. Every dollar counts and any donation is humbly appreciated, even if that donation is a prayer.
Thank you a million times over!! We love you!
Organizer
Monaca Vanderpool
Organizer
Nash Grove, VA