Tina Lee - Dying to breathe

Hi, our names are Tabatha Terry and Sandy Gray and we raising much needed funds for our younger sister Tina and her young family..

Tina is a 39 year old mother, daughter, sister, partner, best friend, teacher and is now going through the unimaginable..

Tina was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as an infant at 8 weeks old.

Her life has been a revolving door of hospital visits and treatments whilst she built a successful business, Scarlett Runway, which promoted and supported emerging Australian designers.

In 2015 Tina underwent a double lung transplant, and suffered a brain bleed shortly after resulting in a long and challenging recovery. After this life changing event, she was forced to step back from the fashion industry and close the doors on her business.

Never one to quit, Tina focused on what she could do - study. After being given a second chance, Tina enrolled in university to pursue life long dream of becoming a teacher. She enjoyed 8 years of good health and living like her hair is on fire.

After lengthy assessments, and regular consultations with the transplant team at The Prince Charles Hospital, and Obstetrics team at Royal Brisbane Women’s and Children’s hospital, Tina was given the support to achieve her lifelong goal - to be a mum. Given the poor reproductive health for Cystic Fibrosis sufferers, Tina was intuitive enough to have multiple egg collections, starting 17 years ago, in the hope that she would have the family she has always dreamt of.

In 2015, Tina underwent a double lung transplant due to excessive and irreversible damage caused by a lifetime of constant and reoccurring chest infections. It took 15 months to receive the call for her double lung transplant. During this time, she didn’t live, just simply existed. Since making a full recovery, she has enjoyed good health, completed and graduated with a bachelor of education and has dedicated her life to teaching in Tasmania and Queensland.

Fast forward to week 34 of her pregnancy, Tina collapsed in the reception at RBWH, and was promptly taken to emergency. Tina was admitted to the hospital, and Henry Lee Bueno was born the following day by emergency caesarean. Born with breathing difficulties, Henry was taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ( NICU) where he remained for the next 4 weeks.

Tina’s health spiralled downhill from this point onwards, Tinas lung function had dropped to 15%, and required 4L of oxygen per minute just to be able to speak a few short words. Tina knew she was dying, as the suffocation became almost unbearable. Tina explained this to us, it was like trapped flooded car with only a small pocket of air that was rapidly running out , and was never enough for a deep breath. Tina was a dying mum of a her desperately loved and wanted 5 day old baby boy Henry.

Professor John Hopkins, came and saw Tina, and further confirmed what she had already anticipated, there were no more options. Treatment was not working, she urgently needed to be transferred to the Royal Prince Charles Hospital to be prepared for a double lung and heart transplant, as this would be her only option. In his opinion, she only had weeks to live. Tina needed to get her affairs in order, and fast.

After being given this news, Tina had the heart breaking task of saying her final goodbye to Henry.Through a sea of tears, she told him how much he was loved and wanted, how she would watch over him

from a window in the sky and he was the pinnacle of her life - this was the moment that truely broke her heart. Shortly after, the ambulance collected Tina and transferred her on what was possibly her final journey, to the Prince Charles Hospital. Saying goodbye to her 5 day old son was the most horrific day of Tina’s life.

Once at The Prince Charles, the transplant team got to work quickly, and a barrage of tests ensued. Tina continued her rapid decline, and was struggling more with each passing day.

A miracle occurred. Doctors informed Tina of a possible experimental medication that had been developed during Covid help reduce inflammation for arthritis sufferers. This medication had not been used successfully in Australia, and Tina was the third person worldwide to use this medication, and the first successful recipient in Australia to benefit for a respiratory inflammation purpose. Within 24 hours of the infusion, Tina’s lung function started to improve. Two days post infusion, Tina was able to sit up, speak and take a few short steps. The first steps she had taken since collapsing at the RBWC. Within a week of the infusion and continuous improvement, the transplant team felt confident to put the transplant on hold. When Tina reached 40% lung capacity, she was given the green light to return home to Yeppoon with her precious gift - Henry.

At this point, her life balances between saving her existing lungs or going through the ultimate challenge of a double lung and heart transplant. Her future is still very unclear.

The reason for us starting this go fund me page is due Tina’s partner Tom having to give up work to become the full time carer for Tina and Henry, in the foreseeable future. Tina has been left very weak and short of breath. With ongoing costs associated with treatment, travel and raising a newborn. Any monies raised will go a long way in helping their beautiful little family.

In this point in time, Tina and our whole family would like to thank; The staff at the Prince Charles Hospital, the staff at The Royal Brisbane Women’s and Children’s hospital, Queensland Ambulance Service, Ronald McDonald House, NeoReturn, friends and family and her wonderful partner, Tom.

Any and all support will be greatly appreciated.