Dear Family and Friends,

As many of you know, my mom, Sandy Kuch just underwent a double lung transplant in July. In December of 2010, after many years of not feeling well, she was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease. A year later when her body seized up allowing limited mobility from her joints, we learned that the cause of the interstitial lung disease was scleroderma.

Scleroderma is a skin disease, which on rare occasions attacks a major organ, in this case my mom’s lungs. We feel extremely blessed that God has given my mom a second chance at life with this transplant. She has 13 grandchildren that have prayed every night for over two years that she heal and once again be as active in their daily lives as she once was! As she continues to heal at home, my parents are faced with the reality of the cost of this life-saving surgery. Even with insurance, Mom has many uninsured, transplant-related expenses such as co-pays and deductibles, doctor’s appointments, temporary travel and relocation lodging while in Ann Arbor, and the costly immunosuppressant medications that she must take for the rest of her life. The transplant team at the University of Michigan has encouraged us to fundraise for some of these expenses.