Jeff Durand - Lung Transplant Medical Expenses

My cousin Jeff has been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and will need a double lung transplant to stay with us. Jeff and his wife Francesca have one son, Radley, who is 11 years old. Jeff is the sole breadwinner for the family.

This rare, progressive, and chronic disease, which affects approximately 207,000 people in the United States, reduces oxygen released into the bloodstream. The lungs harden, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. Jeff’s idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) presents a median survival rate of just 2 to 5 years. IPF usually affects people in their 70s and older, but his diagnosis came at 48 – a very young age for this disease.

There is no known cause of Jeff’s IPF so nothing can be done to treat, fix, or reverse his lung disease. The only option is a double lung transplant. There is no other cure. A transplant like this will allow Jeff to regain some quality of life. It will also allow him to gain quantity of life in order to see his son grow up.

Thankfully, after almost a year of rigorous testing and procedures, the team informed Jeff that he is on the cusp of being listed for a double lung transplant. He could be added to the transplant list as soon as March. Once he is listed, the wait is expected to be approximately one month.

As a result of genetic testing after Jeff’s diagnosis, his situation recently became more complex. It was discovered that although his pulmonary fibrosis remains idiopathic, there is a genetic disposition for people like Jeff. His chromosomes suffer from Short Telomere Syndrome (STS), which disturbs organ systems with increased cell turnover. STS commonly affects the skin, bone marrow, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract.

In Jeff’s case, his short telomeres have also led to fibrosis of the liver. As such, he may require a liver transplant in addition to a double lung transplant. Transplants like this are extremely uncommon. While it has not officially been chosen as the path for Jeff, it hasn’t been ruled out either. Jeff won’t find out if he will need both the liver and lungs until the time of listing.

Transplant patients are encouraged to fundraise because a transplant is a lifelong commitment. Due to the transplant(s) needed to save Jeff’s life, the expenses, which have already started (oxygen, medications, etc.) will continue long after the surgery. He is currently on oxygen 100% of the day, but that oxygen dependency will be traded for a lifetime of expensive immunosuppression medication. The family will also need assistance with medical bills, lost wages, and additional medications.

We will update this when he is listed and again when he has surgery.

We appreciate you considering donating to this fundraiser for Jeff and his family. Thank you.