Support Cheryl's Double Lung Transplant Journey

Cheryl's Double Lung Transplant Story:

Anybody who knows her also knows that she is an adrenaline junkie. Bungee jumping at a NYC charity benefit, completing SCUBA Dive Master status, skydiving to support a friend’s birthday wish, riding her Harley Davidson in the Outer Banks of N.C. and upstate N.Y. and of course achieving Black Belt in Karate and going on to co-own The Bushido School of Karate with her husband “Shihan” Shahin Mehrkar for over 20 years.

In 2012 she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and ultimately Thyroid Eye Disease. This required some “down-time” to recover from three surgeries that were necessary to remove her thyroid and repair damage caused by TED. After she had recuperated she dealt with shortness of breath and attributed it to being out-of-shape. A visit to the pulmonologist showed that, although she had lost 30 pounds and muscle mass due to the hyperactive thyroid, she had also developed COPD with asthma. Inhalers were prescribed and helped with the shortness of breath for many years.

Helping students achieve Black Belt was extremely rewarding, and teaching became her passion. However, her health set-backs also made her tire easily and she realized she would have to step away from instructing.

It was important for her to remain active, which is crucial to lung health, as well as her mental health!. In 2019 she became an EMT so that she could volunteer in her local fire department’s Rescue Squad as a First Responder. She felt blessed to find this as another passion, and privileged to help members of her community in their time of need.

In the Spring of 2022 she contracted COVID and this caused a huge change in her physical abilities. She was breathless simply walking across the room. An appointment with her pulmonologist (for perhaps stronger inhalers) resulted in Oxygen being prescribed and a referral for a double lung transplant. Life changed instantly for both Cheryl and Shahin.

Due to numerous tests and appointments for Cheryl, as well as the requirement of lung transplant centers that the patient have a caretaker 24/7, Shahin retired to be Cheryl’s caretaker. They had no choice but to close their business of over 20 years. The loss of income has been substantial and the out-of-pocket costs associated with treatment have become a financial struggle. The costs will increase substantially once the surgery is done and the need for life-long, expensive, immunosuppressant medication will begin.

Cheryl is committed to her pre-transplant pulmonary rehab; she is fighting, working hard, and making her body stronger to cope on the days it feels impossible to move and to breathe. Cheryl will do honor to her donor’s gift of life, and to those who support her here, she will appreciate and work hard for every breath we collectively help her take.

Please consider donating, as well as saying a prayer for Cheryl, to help with her medical bills. No amount is too small. Thank you!