Breathing is something we all do without giving it a thought. I know I didn’t but, over the last four years breathing has become more and more difficult for me. Today, I am required to be on oxygen. Getting up to do even the simplest things in life such as taking a walk or getting dressed have become so difficult. I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease that has no cure. The only option is a lung transplant.

This brings me to the purpose of my letter. Organ transplantation is lifesaving, but expensive. Though I have insurance, it will not cover all the costs. These uninsured expenses must be paid out-of-pocket. I will need help with immunosuppressant medications, which I will have to take for the rest of my life, the expense of traveling to and from the center and then relocation costs at the time of transplant. As a result, UPMC’s transplant department recommended fundraising.

In order to ease the financial burden, a fundraising campaign in my honor has been established with HelpHOPELive (formerly NTAF), a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for nearly 30 years. All donations are tax deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Mid-Atlantic Lung Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Thank you for considering making a contribution.Your financial gifts will be greatly appreciated and will help me make it through this difficult time.

With sincere gratitude,

Timothy Young
610-866-8319
tim0308@live.com