Claire Wineland Needs Our Help

Rest in peace dearest Claire ❤
As most of you know, September 2, 2018 at 6:00pm, Claire Wineland passed away. She was not in any pain and the medical staff said it was the most peaceful passing they had ever witnessed.

She was surrounded by love and with her mother Melissa Yeager and father John Wineland; they saw her into this world for her first breath and were with her for her last.

She suffered a massive stroke on August 26th after a successful double lung transplant. The stroke was caused by a blood clot. After a week of intensive care and various life saving procedures, it became clear that it was Claire’s time to let her go according to her Advance Directive.

In Claire fashion, she is an organ donor. Claire’s remarkable family were so happy for the other families that were now getting the calls that the organ they had long been waiting for was now available for transplant. They had been on the receiving end of that call just one short week ago.

We know Claire was loved all over the world. Your prayers, support and encouraging words, have been a huge source of strength for her and her family. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your massive amazing out pouring of love.

In lieu of donations here, the family is asking for donations to be made to  Claire's Place Foundation which Claire founded at 13 years old.  Her foundation is committed to upholding Claire’s legacy by assisting Cystic Fibrosis families in need.

In the words of our precious founder Claire Wineland: “Death is Inevitable. Living a life we can be proud of is something we can control.”

You sure made the whole world proud of you Claire!

She was one red hot spark of inspiration and joy, wasn’t she? Rest In Peace Sweet Warrior Claire, we will continue where you left off.

Hug your loved ones close,

Laura McHolm
Chairman of the Board
Claire's Place Foundation



We have been blown away by the amazing outpouring of love and support you have shown to Claire..deeply humbled in fact.  Friends have encouraged us to raise the goal to meet the demand but I want everyone to know that our transplant finances have been covered in full.  Anything additional you choose to donate will be to show Claire your love and to help her do something amazing post transplant.  She is full of wonderful ideas but first new lungs, then look out world! :) <3 

"Death is inevitable, but living a life we are proud of is something we can control". ~ Claire Wineland

Some of you may have heard one of Claire Wineland's  many inspirational speeches at events such as PTTOW, THRIVE: Make Money Matter, WORLDZ, Zappos, Klick Health, TEDx, OMED and AARC or possibly you follow her on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram   or YouTube  but one thing about her is she never asks for help for herself, she is a stubborn little force of nature and determined to  live her life to the fullest despite her failing health and is always, always of service to others and shares her message far and wide. This last year, her decline due to having Cystic Fibrosis  (CF) has been drastic.  She is unable to do the work that she loves, which is traveling the world to share her message with thousands of people, she is using a wheelchair due to shortness of breath to walk more than 100ft and her quality of life has become just about staying alive. 


This is not the Claire we all know and love.   She has recently been placed on the UCSD Lung Transplant list and is anxiously awaiting the call for new lungs.  A new start, a new chapter #metamorphosis.  

Again, we want to make sure that everyone knows this money will not be used for the transplant itself, we do have medical insurance. But the ancillary costs  and medication co pays before, during and after can be considerable, and as you know, she is already struggling to make ends meet and is unable to work. Full recovery can take approximately 6 months post transplant, barring any complications or rejection.

We hope that she has inspired you with her endless positivity, sense of humor and charitable work through a non profit she founded at 13 years old, Claire's Place Foundation which ironically helps other CF children and families in the way that she herself needs now.  If you don't know Claire, please take a minute to Google  her name and see some of her videos on line and on social media as well as a beautiful episode on The CWs "My Last Days, Season 1 " Directed by Justin Baldoni  and Wayfarer Entertainment. 


CNN  has done 2 stories covering her journey for 2 years now and will continue to cover her experience pre and post lung transplant to spread awareness about the process and what people with Cystic Fibrosis go through. Even as her lungs fail, she is still willing to share her experience in the hope of helping another young adult with CF who may be considering a lung transplant.

Claire was recently named Glamour Magazine's College Woman of the Year Grand Prize Winner 2018   for her work in advocacy and charity.  Behind the scenes, she struggles for breath and is currently in end stage lung disease, but that is not the face she shows the world. 

Please, consider making a donation today so that we can relieve the stress she is feeling about not being well enough to continue working until transplant and possibly up to a year post transplant. What would be most helpful is if  you could make a 10 - 30 second video about how you have been inspired by Claire and then share that video along with this link to your community and social media following.  I am sure with your help, we can reach and maybe even beat this goal.  https://www.gofundme.com/teamclaire with hashtag #TeamClaire

Thank you so much for your support!  Please do share with followers, friends and family that you feel might be inspired to support as well.

Your donations will be deposited in to a private account for Claire and used to pay her rent and expenses over the next 6 to 18 months so she can simply focus on this next huge step while she is so ill.  Specifically travel money, hotels, medications, apartment rental pre transplant here in Los Angeles and post transplant in San Diego, food and other necessities for Claire.

Warmly, #TeamClaire


"Truly honored to have lived, failed and accomplished in the ways I have" ~ Claire WIneland 

A message from Claire :)

Claire Wineland, Keynote Speaker at Zappos All Hands Meeting 2017   

Claire Wineland, Keynote Speaker at PTTOW 2016