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Melanie Walling is in desperate need of a liver transplant. Before Melanie can be put on the active transplant list, she must raise $3000 to cover temporary living expenses for staying in Charleston, SC for two months post-transplant.
Melanie was infected with Hepatitis C in 1983 when she received four units of blood during an emergency C-section; Blood wasn’t screened for Hep C until 1992. She, luckily, had no symptoms from this disease for over thirty years. In February, 2013, she was admitted to the hospital vomiting blood and was told she had advanced cirrhosis of the liver. We were told by the liver specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina, that without a liver transplant, her life expectancy would only be two to three years. With a new liver, we were told “she would feel young again” with a normal life expectancy.
We are lucky in that we have insurance to cover the cost of testing and the transplant itself. However, to be considered for a transplant, we have to demonstrate that we have $3000 in cash to cover the two months that we will be required to stay in Charleston after the transplant.
To help with the financial burden of Melanie’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in her honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the South-Atlantic Liver Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Please consider making a contribution.
Thank you for your prayers, support and generosity. Please keep an eye on this campaign page because we will be planning some fundraising events soon and posting updates regularly.
Gratefully,
Jim Walling (Melanie’s husband)
843-461-6080
We are so happy to share the wonderful news that Melanie received her transplant on Feb. 18 and was discharged on Feb. 23 to temporary lodging near the hospital for follow-up care. She is doing fantastic! Thank you for your prayers and support.
Sorry I haven't had an update lately, but really nothing new to report. Melanie is on the list and we are just waiting for a donor. This is the hardest part...the waiting.
I know it seemed like it was never going to happen, but Melanie was finally put on the transplant list on November 24! It was a great Thanksgiving present. I want to thank everyone for all their prayers and support, but in some ways, this is just the start. Keep those prayers coming.
Just an update to let everyone know what is going on. We had more work to do at the dentist than we anticipated, but we're almost finished. She has her final appointment this Thursday and we should be finished. MUSC will get the clearance letter this Friday and we should be able to get her on the list by Monday! Didn't think this day would ever come.
Thank everyone for there support and prayers.
Good new! We have just finished getting Melanie checked out at the dentist and signed a release to have a report of her colonoscopy faxed to the Medical University. That should be everything. Hopefully we can get her on a list this week, or next week.
I want to thank everyone, again, for all the prayers and support. I'll try to keep you updated.
I haven't been in touch lately, mainly because I don't have fulltime access to a computer. We appear to be stuck at $4200, but don't give up hope. We have a large number of relatives who are waiting to donate after Melanie has her surgery. They want to wait and see exactly what we are going to need at that time.
Meanwhile, we go back to Charleston on August 25 for a pulmonary function test (to see how well Melanie's lungs are working). On August 27 she has more lab work and we meet with a transplant surgeon. Hopefully we will find out at that time what kind of timetable we are looking at as far as getting on the transplant list.
I will try to keep everyone informed as to what is going on. Thanks again for your support.
My daughter ask if I was going to send a thank you note to everyone who had donated. I would love to, but the truth is, I don't know who donated or how much. The total you see on the page is all I see. So, while I appreciate everything everyone has done, I can't give individual thanks.
Meanwhile, Melanie has a mammogram next week (her last test) and then an appointment with her surgeon on August 27th. After that, hopefully, we can get her on a list. Wish us luck. And again, thanks to everyone for everything you have done. We couldn't have gotten this far without you.
Just wanted to let everyone know that Melanie's cardiac cath. went great. Everything was normal. The procedure itself was only about 20 minutes. Of course, we were there for about four hours.
Thanks for all the prayers and support.
I can't begin to tell everyone how grateful and appreciative Melanie and I are for everything everyone has done. We have the greatest friends and families in the world and we do know it.
Continue to pray for us. We have to be at the Medical University at 8 am Friday (6-26) morning for a heart cath. Wish us luck.
I want to thank all the Mastin Nursing School women for their support and prayers.
Melanie must raise $3000 for living expenses to stay in Charleston, SC for two months after her liver transplant.
Sweet Melanie-Your strength and hope is in the Lord and surely He is faithful. Please know that you are dearly loved by your Mastin family. God Bless You.
Gay Whiting
Melanie, please know that your Mastin friends are here to help. My prayer is for you to get that liver soon so you can start getting well.
Carol Bretz Sinibaldi
Sent donation but also sending love and prayers. We are all thinking of you
Glenda Wright Huntzinger
melanie ....Donnie and I will be praying you are able to raise this money.....I love that i ran up on this on facebook ...God will hold you and help you and your family through this trial....you look great...wish i could do more will be praying about what we can do to help..love always Donna Gipson Morgan....i married Donnie Morgan from church and been with him for the past 32 years
donna morga
Melanie, so good to chat with you by text! You rest easy, you are gonna get a liver and spend a whole lotta years with grand babies! God bless you all.
Love and hugs
Becky Swindle Overton
DEAR MISS MELANIE, I DO NOT HAVE MUCH BUT IM GOING TO SPEAK TO MY BOYFRIEND TONITE AND SEE WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH. ALSO I AM GOING TO ASK MY SONS N DAUGHTER AND EVERYONE ELSE TO PRAY FOR YOU. I HAVE LIVER DISEASE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I CAUSED IT MYSELF THROUGH DRUG ADDICTION. WOULD I EXPECT A TRANSPLANT? NEVER!!!! ITS PPL LIKE YOU WHO SHOULDNT EVEN HAVE TO RAISE MONEY... OUR GOVERNMENT , I HAVE SEEN , SPENDS MONEY EITHER TO FRIVOLOUSLY OR UNETHICALLY.... I KNOW ...I KNOW YOU WILL REACH THIS GOAL BC I HAVE FAITH IN GOD , I JUST FEEL REALLY STRONG ABOUT YOU, ALMOST LIKE IT WAS TRULY MEANT FOR ME TO SEE THIS FOR ANOTHER REASON BESIDES THE FUNDING. MAYBE TO SHOW ME WHERE IM HEADED ON THIS HOPELESS ROAD, WHILE YOU, WITH A FACE LIKE A RAY OF SUN IS SO MUCH DESERVING OF SOMETHING IVE DESTROYED. GOD WILL BLESS YOU IM HAVING THE STRONGEST FAIRH IN THIS AND WHEN YOU PRAY , PLEASE THINK OF ME BC I FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN AN INSTRUMENT IN GODS PLAN FOR ME..I KNOW PEOPLE WILL THINK IM CRAZY BUT I FEEL LIKE MAYBE HEARING THIS MAY HELP U TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE DONESOMETHING FOR ME. I WILL SEE ABOUT THE MONEY TONITE, AND GOD BLESS YOU , AND THANK YOU
Kat Lewis Reid
Melanie, you were my first BFF, from the second grade to the L&D room at Providence Hospital, you were always there when I needed you. I am here for you now,
Love you,
Penny Manchester
The nerve, this thing cut me off! You know I wasn't thru saying what I had to say!‼️
Cindy
Mellie,
Im so sorry about all that you & Jim have been going through over recent years. I don't know him, but think that Jim must be a special guy to be so supportive.
I wish y'all had reached out sooner. You know we all love you & will be happy to help... Wonder if anyone knows where we can find a nurse for private duty while you're recovering!
Cindy Stewart Burlette, Class of '76
Melanie my prayers are with you. You still have that beautiful smile. I will do whatever I can to help.
God bless you, Dolores Muscat
Love you Melanie! I'm praying for you. Regina Scott Lau
Gina
Stay strong, Mel. Love you, Cathy Ward Besich,
Mastin 76
Cathy Besich
Good Luck Melanie.
Brenda Peters Cooper
Mastin c/o '71.
Brenda
Melanie and I were classmates at Mastin . School of Nursing, and graduated in 1976. I am so glad to know that she is a fighter, and will do whatever it takes to live, and has hope. I hope all of our classmates and friends will join me and give Melanie the love and support she needs to keep Hope alive. Love you girl! We got this!
Becky Barnett Yarbrough
Make checks payable to:
Help Hope Live
Note in memo:
In honor of Melanie Walling
Mail to:
Help Hope Live
2 Radnor Corporate Center
Suite 100
100 Matsonford Road
Radnor, PA 19087
Donor preference is important to us. Please specify in writing if you wish for your name or donation amount to be kept private.
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