I hero-worshipped my brother while we were growing up. As my big brother, Mike taught me what to do and what not to do in life, like look both ways before crossing the street, don’t touch what isn’t yours, and never ever ever(!) take that last cookie. I am kidding about that last part. He is a generous soul. And through the years, our bond has remained. Mike is the kind of brother who, even in the grumpiest mood, you call him up – and he is there for you. He is that way for everyone in need. And now it is his time. He needs our help.
As his family, we were private about everything this year because we did not know nor could we comprehend what was happening to Mike. It was a blur – that much I can say.
In August 2023, Mike went to Urgent Care after work, complaining of a fever and a cough. They told him to go to the hospital. He had pneumonia.
Not a big deal, right? Well, his ER visit was a day that turned into two days, which turned into a week, which turned into more and more weeks. The pneumonia would not go away.
Although he briefly went home now and then, armed with oxygen and prescriptions, his trips home were brief, and he would end up back in the hospital again, struggling to breathe.
There were more hospitals, and he was a medical mystery. They tried their best to figure out the how and the why for him. Finally, the University of Pennsylvania was able to help. They determined his lung failure was due to Interstitial Lung Disease, an umbrella diagnosis that covers inflammation and the subsequent scarring of the lungs. Sometimes, the cause is hereditary; other times, it is caused or exacerbated by environmental factors or habits. Whatever the case in Mike’s situation, it was sudden, irreversible, and would be fatal. His doctors said with certainty that his only option was to have a full lung transplant, and he did not have a lot of time.
Mike was in otherwise excellent health at 56 years old, so much so that he scored in the top 99 percentile as an appropriate recipient for the gift of life. If you are familiar with the struggle of getting “on the list,” you know this is no small feat. There are tests, more tests, and tests of the tests. Once approved, you wait.
Mike’s kindness and humor were remarkable during the process. He is one of the few people I know who can make people laugh despite feeling terrible himself. The hospital treated him great. If our Mom were still here, she would have called him a charmer. His grown children said he was an enigma. His wife, Renee, was with him every. single. day. Sometimes, she slept overnight next to his hospital bed. With the beeping machines, there is really no sleeping in a hospital. It was tough. But together, they made it. And for that, we are deeply thankful to the University of Pennsylvania for their help, and we are forever grateful to the donor and their family who saved my brother’s life on December 3rd. That’s right – he received a full transplant, and Mike continues to be his charming enigma self to this day.
So what now? Since everything happened so fast and we were overwhelmed, to say the least – we (I?) did not have the chance to fundraise as would typically be done in these situations. We are happy he is doing so well now. But he needs funds for aftercare. The University of Pennsylvania and Mike will be thunder-buddies for life. Even after the successful transplant, he will have a lifetime of doctor visits, tests, and costly medication. It adds up. His insurance will not pay for everything. So, I created this fundraiser to pay for what insurance cannot.
Help Hope Live was chosen because it assures fiscal accountability of all funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. This means that your donations will only be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses for Mike. That’s it.
If you read this far, thank you. And please, please, please click the Give button to donate to this fundraising campaign. No donation is too small for our hero. Please help us maximize the support for Mike’s aftercare by sharing this fundraising page widely since we aim to raise as much money as possible. On behalf of Michael Yarnall and his entire family, thank you very much.
