Help Owen with his lung transplant

"Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need." - Mary Baker Eddy

As many of you already know, our friend, Owen Bradley has been diagnosed with interstitial lung disease, a progressive and terminal condition. He has recently been approved for a lung transplant, which will likely save his life. This amazing opportunity comes with a HUGE financial burden, which is why we are reaching out for your support.

First and foremost, Owen is a loving and devoted husband to Jane. Their 42 years of sweetness has been an inspiration to many. He is a doting father and grandfather to Adrien, Lauren, Sarah, August, Owen, Elladaye, and Molly. Of course, Owen has also given back to his community in so many ways over the years. Most of us know him as an educator. For 10 years in the 1990s, he was a school counselor at Montpelier High School, and for the last two decades, he has worked as a school principal in Bethel, Marshfield, and Montpelier. For some of us, his work spreading LOVE with his beautiful love signs (Orbit of Love) is what we associate him with. Sadly, this diagnosis has forced Owen to retire early from the work he loved so deeply. He misses the students, faculty, and staff. The only “cure” is a lung transplant. We want to support him in this healing journey so that he can continue being a rock for his family and return to his mission to spread love.

As Owen's lung disease worsens, he requires more supplemental oxygen, limiting his daily activities. Jane, who lives with a degenerative form of muscular dystrophy, relies on mobility aids for movement, a walker, and a wheelchair. Simple tasks like carrying groceries or tending to their home have become increasingly challenging for them.

Owen and Jane have been traveling back and forth to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for the past 9 months, making 12 trips of multiple-day stays. He has had every test needed to assure he is a good candidate for a transplant and that he will have a positive outcome. After almost a year of waiting, he recently got the FANTASTIC news that he has been approved for a lung transplant! Starting this week, he will be on the LIST… and could be called in for the transplant any time. He and his wife, Jane, will need to live down in Boston for the foreseeable future awaiting surgery.

As most of you already know, this past summer… right in the middle of the hard work Jane & Owen had been doing leading up to being approved for a transplant… The sweet little village of Plainfield was hit hard with a devastating flood. That flood came right to the doorstep of Jane & Owen's home, destroying everything in their basement, which also housed Owen’s love sign studio - as well as their backyard and porch, which had served as a sanctuary of peace for them over the years. They were grateful to be spared relative to their neighbors who lost EVERYTHING, but it was a sad and disheartening setback during an already heavy and challenging time in their lives. Of course, the work to recover from that flood has layered another financial burden for Jane & Owen.

Owen and Jane must immediately relocate to Boston for up to 12 months. He needs to be ready to be at the hospital at a moment's notice when an organ is available for him. This could take up to 90 days. Once the transplant surgery is complete, there will be a long and complicated rehabilitation period including weekly physical therapy, medical specialist appointments, and transplant monitoring. This will require them to live close to the hospital for several months after the transplant surgery. The associated costs, including insurance, co-pays, medications, and living expenses, are estimated to be $75,000 and $125,000. This amount may increase if complications arise during Owen's recovery.

Post-transplant, Owen looks forward to returning to creating and sharing his love signs, volunteering in his community, and maybe even relaxing. He looks forward to being healthy enough to take walks and breathing in the LOVE that surrounds him. Owen cherishes moments with his grandchildren and eagerly anticipates witnessing their growth and milestones. Owen's granddaughter Elladaye's wish is to run a 5K together once he has his new lungs. Owen is hoping to fulfill that promise to his granddaughter. That will be a big breath of fresh air. In his early 60s, Owen still has a lot of love to give!

Your donation to Owen's GoFundMe will help him and Jane during this challenging time. Please also consider sharing their story and encouraging others to contribute. Even if you can’t give at this time, please share… spreading the word is so important.

Thank you for your kindness, support, and love.