December 31, 2017

Happy New Year Everyone... We have had another blessed year. We have had some amazing times with our family and friends this past year. Marty has had a few medical challenges this year. He is doing well with his transplant, his lung function has dipped slightly, but remains stable. We want to thank everyone for their support this year, prayer, words of encouragement, or your donations for his medical expenses through this site. Help Hope Live is an amazing organization to be partnered with. Hope that you had a Merry Christmas and will have a Blessed New Year.

November 28, 2016

Hello Everyone... Another year has flown by so quickly. Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is just around the corner. We are still in Ohio, enjoying our family and grandkids. We have so much to be thankful for, God's provision and protection, family, and friends both long time and newly made. We were invited to go to Disney World with our grandchildren in July. We had so much fun making memories and watching them meet and greet the characters they love so much. It was our first time there. We also were able to celebrate my 8 year transplant anniversary while we were there. While I am so thankful for my live, I think of my donor and their family on the 26th of July.

I have been in pretty decent health this year with a few glitches though. Last year I had fallen and broken my elbow, that has healed nicely although I do not have full range of motion. I have also had a few other hospital admissions for various cardio and respiratory issues, 5 all together. Some of the medical staff at the Cleveland Clinic joking call us "frequent flyers"

This year marks the 10 year since I first became ill with the respiratory infection. It seems strange like time has flown at the same time it goes so slow. November 29, 2006 is when I went into the hospital with the unknown illness and there I stayed until the middle of June. God has been so good through this all.

November 22, 2015

Hello Everyone,

It has been 2 years since we have posted any updates. Things have been going pretty well for Marty with his health. He has had a few bumps in the road and a few hospitalizations, but he is doing his part to keep healthy.

We have had a few major life changes though. As you can see, we are now a part of the Great Lakes Lung Transplant Fund instead of the Southwest Lung Transplant Fund. This is because we made a move to Ohio in July of 2014. Most of our family is still living here with the exception of Marty's daughter and my sister and her husband, they are still in Arizona.

Our move here has allowed Marty to spend time with our family and grandchildren. We have been able to attend so many of Jonathan's sporting events including his soccer games and his little league and traveling baseball league games. We have been blessed to be able to watch Maelynn, our two year old grand daughter grow and learn so many things so fast. They both love their Papa.

Along with this move came a change of insurance plans as well as a transfer of post lung transplant care from St. Joseph's in Phoenix to the Cleveland Clinic.

So, because of his hospitalizations and his change of insurance plans, we are needing to fundraise again. Thank you for all who have shown support and for considering a donation to his fundraising campaign.

Remember, it is the end of the year, and donations are tax deductible.

November 9, 2013

We just returned from the Lung Transplant Support Organization's annual picnic. It is amazing to me the number of people who are being touched by organ transplantation. Just over night the transplant team at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center preformed TWO lung transplants. These are amazing medical professionals...

Thank you also for everyone who has made a donation to the fundraising campaign, your contributions are greatly appreciated.

It is not to late for purchasing tickets to the "Virtual Turkey Dinner" fundraiser. Just click on the link below for the information.... Thank you so much and please feel free to share Marty's campaign page with your friends and family.

October 29, 2013

Well, It is beginning to cool down here in Arizona. Time to start thinking about the upcoming holiday's and start planning those great meals. We would like to help you with your planning and help you to keep the calories to a bare minimum... From now until the end of November, we will be having a Virtual Turkey Dinner with all of the Trimmings as a fundraiser for Marty's medical expenses. We realize the economy is pretty tight right now, but we would appreciate any donations or "meal ticket" purchases for this Calorie Free meal. Another bonus, to a virtual meal fundraiser, there won't be any crowds in the grocery stores or any kitchen clean up to do... All donations are Tax Deductible and will go directly to Marty's medical expenses. Thank you so much, and please feel free to share this page with your contacts. There is an area to the right to choose where to share. Also check out the blog www.martysnewlungs.blogspot.com

October 12, 2013

I know it has been along time since this page has been updated..I kind of went through a thing where I didn't want things out there floating around in cyber space.. So what has been happening these past few years? To put it simply, LIFE. We are just living life and enjoying both the big things and the small things..

July 26th was my 5 year "Transversary". I am so grateful for the decision of organ donation that the still unknown person made that changed my life 5 years ago.

We have also been able to travel back to Ohio to visit our immediate family (they all live there with the exception of my daughter). And our grandson was able to come here to visit us this July. Boy did he have things planned for us to do.

I recently had to have some surgery to prevent "silent aspirations"(acid reflux) from getting into my lungs and possibly causing more rejection. Yes, I said more rejection, a few years back the expected chronic rejection happened. I am holding steady thanks to God and the medical team.

We haven't actively been fundraising for a while, mostly due to the economy, but we are starting up my personal fundraising campaign again. I am not sure exactly what the campaign will be, but most likely it will be an internet campaign as before, since our family and friends are scattered all over. I have noticed that the new HelpHOPELive page is a bit easier to navigate. Please feel free to share this my with your family and friends, and if you want to donate to help with my expenses before we decide what campaign will be, there is a "donate now" button. There is also a place to click on to share this page with social media, in the upper corner.

Thank you all and I will try to keep this page updated more often.

Oh, the photo is of me and the surgeon, Dr. Bremmner, who along with his team, preformed my lung transplant in 2008.