Fred Banks Medical Fund

After building a life and raising three children in Waitsburg and Prescott Washington, our parents sold their home and moved across the state to help their 4 year old granddaughter who was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2016. They loaded what they needed and they set up their 5th wheel home in areas around Sequim including the John Wayne Marina and now, in Carlsborg. They had two years of enjoying the area and even made a cross-country trip to "see the sights" and spend time with family they haven't seen in years. 

Our father, Fred Banks was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis on December 28th 2018 ( https://www.maoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pulmonary-fibrosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20353690) a diagnosis under the umbrella term, Interstitial  Lung Disease (https://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/interstitial-lung-disease/). He is expected to have had it unknowingly for quite some time (roughly 6 years), always being professionally treated for "allergies". In May of 2019 he was rushed by ambulance to Jefferson Medical Center in Port Townsend in respiratory distress. It was then discovered that since diagnosis, there was a miscommunication or misunderstanding on how much oxygen he SHOULD have been on and he was getting FAR less than he needed. When the ER team tested his blood gas levels ( https://www.healthline.com/health/blood-gases#results ) they found his oxygen level was through the roof and his CO2 level was dangerously low. He was suffering from Pulmonary Toxicity because of the amount of oxygen - CO2 in his system. His extremities were purple for hours until they were able to balance those levels. He remained in the ICU for 3 full days. After being oxygen deprived for so long his body was weak. He stayed in the hospital for 2 weeks while they balanced all unbalanced levels, worked him through Physical and Occupational therapies and taught him how to live a life attached to the massive amount of oxygen he needs to survive. His quality of life is greatly diminished because of the burden of transporting multiple oxygen tanks as well as the appropriate concentrators. During his stay in the hospital he found out he was eligible for a life-saving lung transplant as long as he could meet a few simple requirements, he basically needed to lose a little weight. Since he was discharged he has been attending Pulmonary Rehab multiple times a week and adjusted his diet. With the necessary therapy providing a large portion of his activity and diet change he has reached his goal weight (starting weight 272# - current weight 217#). This was the last big hurdle to clear before the transplant process could continue. 


What we're finding out now is that he stands a great chance of that happening a lot sooner than we thought. They have depleted their savings paying for hospital trips, rehab and medial costs that have not been covered by their insurance. Us, his three children, are trying to help our Dad (and Mom) come up with ideas on how to maneuver funding when it comes to this transplant.  He does have insurance that covers the transplant. What the insurance doesn't cover is the required lodging and in-home care for post transplant (3 months - possibly longer), anti rejection drugs, food, plus transitional care assistance once he's allowed to come back home to Sequim. He will have to remain within an hour of the University of Washington Hospital with round-the-clock care. Our Mom will be his main caregiver but in the event of any possible medical issue with her or her simple need to get groceries or leave the house, they need someone there with him. It's obviously incredibly expensive to live in the Seattle area even more so when you require (skilled) care. We are hoping to help my parents raise enough money for them to cover monthly living expenses post-transplant and find someone to care for their 2 small dogs during that time.

Our Dad has so much life to live. We appreciate you reading through this and your possible donation. Our Dad is a man of God so if you're not able to afford a financial donation please do include him in your prayers and church groups. He misses his Church family in Walla Walla so very much and would love and appreciate being lifted up in prayer.