Beth Vallier received the incredible gift of life on May 22nd at 1:09 am when the call came in to please report to the lung transplant department at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO. The donor, a 56-year-old man, had communicated his desire to save lives through organ donation and so, upon his passing, his gift of lungs saved Beth’s life.
The dangerous, yet life-giving surgery happened later that day under the care of the foremost lung transplant team in the world. The surgery was touch and go for a while, including a collapsed transplanted lung and a stroke, but six hours later, a successful double lung transplant was accomplished. A few days later, Beth was awoken from an induced coma and began the journey of life with new (to her) lungs.
Beth is thankful for her husband, Dan, their four sons and their wives, twelve grandchildren, family, and friends. She wishes that they had not undergone so much concern about her health but, at the same time, is so very grateful for their love and support.
While it has been very hard for Beth and Dan, these circumstances have also brought them closer together, strengthened their trust in Jesus, and reinforced what matters most in life.
Before her health began to decline, Beth enjoyed gardening, working full-time in healthcare emergency preparedness for North Central Kansas, doing yard work, and cooking for her family and friends. After contracting Obliterative Bronchiolitis, Beth had to cease working, was on O₂ 24/7, was unable to climb stairs, barely could walk to the front door of their home, and was breathless just getting dressed or getting into bed. Her days were quite limited prior to the lung transplant. By the time she received new lungs, it was projected that she would only have lived a few more weeks.
The first year after the transplant, Beth took a part-time job with her previous employer and made several trips from North Central Kansas back to St. Louis for exams, tests, bronchoscopies, and evaluations. She encountered two rounds of rejection. That, plus a move to Iowa, convinced Beth she should take an early retirement.
Forever Beth’s life has changed with the transplant, and she is so very grateful to those who have helped to make it possible. The transplant has allowed her to get so much of her life back. She lives without an oxygen tank or difficulty breathing. She enjoys playing with grandchildren, crafting, sewing, cooking, and even started a new business called Homemade Pies. Additionally, she helps with typing study guides or making PowerPoints for her husband’s classes at a local high school.
Beth is thankful that for many more years she will enjoy time with loved ones; but it does come at a price. The average double lung transplant can cost more than $1 million, but that is only the beginning. Even with insurance, which covered the cost of her transplant, she still faces significant expenses related to the surgery. For the rest of her life, she will need follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications, which are as critical to her survival as the transplant itself.
Beth must travel more than 362 miles to reach her transplant center in St. Louis should complications occur. Every three months, there is a doctor’s appointment, a battery of labs, pulmonary function test, and an x-ray in Des Moines, IA. Daily, she takes her vitals, measures lung functions, and maintains a strict regimen of medication.
Because of the medication, Beth now has Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The disease is responsible for causing high blood pressure and other heart diseases. The continued health challenges cause Beth and her husband to continually appreciate each day that Beth is given.
The Help Hope Live organization is working with volunteers and supporters to help relieve Beth’s continual burden of expenses. The organization has been assisting transplant patients with fundraising support for many years and is nationally ranked in the top 1% of all U.S. charities by Charity Navigator.
Family and friends of Beth are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with a transplant. Beth has chosen Help Hope Live in part because donations are tax deductible for contributors and will only be used to cover medical and related expenses.
Your gift of any amount will provide Beth with the financial support she needs.
