Dear Family and Friends,
There are many things we all take for granted in life. Breathing, however, is one of those things I never thought would fall under that category for me. I am a 34 year old mother of two beautifully intelligent children and a loving and devoted wife who, unfortunately has been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. This lung disease causes me to have shortness of breath, which prohibits me from doing everyday activities. Walking up and down a flight of steps, taking showers, getting dressed, and the ability to enjoy physical activities with my family are some of the things that have been restricted due to my condition. Unfortunately, my condition won’t get better. However, I am taking the necessary steps to stop it from getting progressively worse which includes visits to multiple doctors for breathing tests, x-rays, cat scans, sleeping and walking with oxygen, and a multitude of medications. If these methods, as well as faith and belief, don’t work a lung transplant will be my only option to carry out a normal and productive life.
This brings me to the purpose of my letter. Though lifesaving, organ transplantation is very expensive. My medical insurance will only cover 80 percent of the surgery. I will need assistance with immunosuppressant medications, which I’ll have to take for the rest of my life, as well as other uninsured expenses. As a result New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center’s medical department recommended fund raising.
To help ease this financial burden, a fund raising campaign in my honor has been established with HelpHOPELive (formerly NTAF), a non-profit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for over 30 years. All donations are tax deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the New York Lung Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Thank you in advance for considering making a donation.
Make Checks Payable To: HelpHOPELive
Note In Memo Section: In Honor of Jonte Owens
Please Send To: HelpHOPELive
Two Radnor Corporate Center
100 Matsonford Road, Suite 100
Radnor, PA 19087

For credit card donations, please call 800.642.8399 or select the DONATE NOW button or visit helphopelive.org and enter Jonte Owens in the “Find a Patient” box on the home page.