Nick Needs Help!!

We are Renee and Lori. We have had the privilege to know Tina since we were 9 years old. The three of us actually lived right next door to each other for 30 of those years. That is 50 years now that we have been best friends. We are reaching out because our friend and her son are in dire need of some angels.

Nick was diagnosed in July 2020 at the age of 24 with Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis (PAP). This is a rare lung disease involving surfactant accumulation within the alveoli. This disease causes your lungs to fill up with a sticky protein, and if this protein is not drained, one can drown in their own mucus. The incidents have been estimated to be 0.2 cases per million. Individuals with this disease will have trouble breathing, frequent lung infections, coughing up phlegm and blood, and severe fatigue. In Nick’s case he is at the point where he requires oxygen 24/7. Some people can go into remission, however others have a decline in lung function (respiratory failure) and they may need a lung transplant.

The only treatment to date is WLL (whole lung lavage). This is basically like a car wash for your lungs. Nick has undergone 4 of these already and is scheduled for two more in July. This procedure requires Tina, her husband Tony and Nick to drive 2.5 hours to University of Pennsylvania Hospital. During the procedure the medical assistants continually pound on Nick's chest to loosen the thick mucus, while the doctor flushes saline through Nick's lungs and suctions it out along with the mucus. While this is being done, the other lung is being fed oxygen. During Nick’s last procedure, the doctor flushed out 16 bottles of phlegm from ONE lung. This is the most the doctor has ever seen come out of one lung. As you can imagine this is a painful and costly procedure.

It was at this point that we decided to help our best friend Tina and her son Nick, by reaching out to our community. Due to his condition, Nick is only able to work part time and his insurance coverage is minimal. It is so minimal, that it doesn’t even cover the cost of oxygen – which seems impossible that the one thing he needs to live, isn’t covered. The cost of oxygen per month is approximately $630.

To date, Nick’s procedure totals in excess of $80,000 and he has two more upcoming lavage (lung washes) in July. Any amount to help with Nick’s expenses would be much appreciated by Nick and his family.