March 16, 2022

March 16th- Tammy has shown great improvement. She is being put on antibiotics for some bacteria found in the donors lungs(common occurrence) and the doctors are going to try to wake her up today to see how she tolerates it.

March 14, 2022

My name is Chelsey and I am Tammy's eldest granddaughter. Before she went into surgery, she asked me to upload my speech for college called "Tribute to Tammy" to this page, I have included the link to the speech and the transcript below if anyone is interested.

Hello everyone, thank you for coming. My name is Chelsey Caswell. Today, I would like to give a tribute to someone extremely special in my life, my grandmother Tammy. She hates being called “Grandma” so we will call her “mawmaw” in this speech, as my siblings and I do.

Mawmaw was born October 4, 1959 and was 1 of 8 children. She grew up very poor, and didn’t have many things. My great-grandmother made all of the children’s clothes, but what this family lacked in money, they made up for in love.

I want to express my admiration today for the resilience, and love that my mawmaw has always, and will always give. At 19, she became a single mother to my mother, but her love and resilience never wavered. She worked 2 jobs, day and night to care for my mother on her own, and gave her the best life she could. Nothing could stop her will to care for her family. At 22, she suddenly lost her big brother. This put a tear in her heart, but she knew that the world couldn’t stop, she continued working just as hard for my mother and prayed that her brother would watch over her.

In 1984, Mawmaw had my Aunt Amanda, and worked even harder to provide for her and my mother. Ten years later, in 1994, she became a grandmother to me.

Mawmaw was stunned by my mother’s pregnancy, but she vowed at that moment that nothing would harm a hair on my head. In return, I grew up with the greatest grandmother anyone could have asked for.

All of my life, I was protected by my Mawmaw, taken on vacations I will never forget, spent endless days by the pool at her house, eating green olives and listening to the Eagles on repeat. She always accepted me for who I was, or was becoming. Through the weird music and clothing phases, she never batted an eye.

The best life advice comes from a grandmother and she taught me everything she knew. The most important of these, “don’t sweat the small stuff.” I took that piece of advice with me everywhere I went and tried to remind myself of it when things got hard.

When life gets hard, I try to emulate some of the resilience I see in my Mawmaw every single day. When I lost my great-grandmother in 2014, I thought my world was coming to a halt. It was mawmaw I looked to for strength and comfort that she gave to me, even though it was her own mother than she lost.

In 2015, Mawmaw was diagnosed with a rare lung condition called Alpha-One. She was rocked by this diagnosis, but she has never let it control her. She fights this disease every single day and never lets it define her. It is terrifying and times, but she handles it with grace like I have seen no one else able to do.

Because of Mawmaw, I saw that strength is not all physical. Strength comes from within, perseverance and a strong will are what really count for strength. Upon knowing this, Mawmaw is the strongest person I know.

This speech is an account of the Admiration I could never completely express for Mawmaw, and all of the things she has taught and given myself and my siblings. If you have a Tammy in your life, never take her for granted. I’d like to end this with lyrics from “Broken Wing” by Martina McBride, a song that always makes me think of her. “And with a broken wing, She still sings, She keeps an eye on the sky, With a broken wing, She carries her dreams, Man, you ought to see her fly.”

March 14, 2022

March 9th, 9 PM, Tammy's transplant begins.

March 10th, 1:00 PM, Tammy is recovering in ICU, and daughters Tiffany and Amanda are speaking to her.

March 11th, 12:00 pm Tammy is having complications with her blood flow and kidneys, doctors are working hard and taking care of her.

March 11th, 9:00 pm. Blood clots were found in Tammy's right wrist, she will undergo an operation to remove them.

March 12th, 3:00 am. The procedure was successful, Tammy's blood clots were removed and she may lose function in her right hand, but it remains to be seen.

March 12th, Tammy's blood flow has improved and the doctors are trying to test her neurological responses by waking her up, she hasn't woken yet. The Eckmo machine breathing for her has been turned down and she is able to breathe on her own slightly.

March 14th, Tammy is improving, blood flow and X-ray looks better and she should be able to be off the Eckmo machine in a day or so. Damage to her kidneys remains to be seen. She has woken and wiggled her feet but the journey ahead is still long.

March 8, 2022

Went for transplant unfortunately was not meant for me. At last minute found pneumonia in donated lungs. Gods timing is perfect all the time.

December 14, 2021

Tammy Short’s Journey to Breathe Again

Our Mom/Mamaw/Sister/Wife/Friend to All is getting Lungs! After a seven-year battle with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, a rare genetic disease that affects vital organs including the lungs, Tammy has finally been approved to be placed Active on the Double Lung Transplant List. This is incredibly news that brings hope to all who love her, and we are asking for your support!

Tammy is the ROCK of her family! As a single mother to both of her daughters (Tiffany and Amanda), one of eight siblings, and a successful Leader in her career for many years, she has lived a life providing service, guidance, unconditional love and support, humility, and grace. Her heart has always found true joy in GIVING. Family, friends, and strangers alike have always known she has a safe place ready for them at any moment. Tammy's life is a GIFT to more people than can be counted.

The donations we are seeking will go 100% towards the double lung transplant surgery costs, the extended 30 day hospital stay that is required post-transplant, the housing/living costs for the additional 30 days that requires her and her daughter(s) to remain in the Lexington vicinity for daily care and monitoring, as well as ongoing post-transplant care for the remainder of her beautiful life.

Your financial contribution is tax deductible. Your support will provide a sense of security and peace for Tammy and her family, as she battles for her life physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially.