“She believed she could, so she did.” The quote sits next Donna’s chair and she has done her very best to live by it….regardless of what life has dealt her. Only 54 years old, Donna Johnson has had more hospital stays than anyone should have to endure. It hasn’t been easy for a woman who has spent more than half of her life taking care of others. A nurse by trade, a wife and mother of six and grandmother of 13, Donna has been there for many people in their time of need in spite of many health issues and lots of surgeries that threatened her life.

Now, thanks to the miracle of finding out about and being blessed with a wonderful transplant team, Donna received a small bowel transplant and has just started down the road of recovery. After years of taking care of others, both professionally and at home, Donna really needs our help.

Recovering from a small bowel transplant is a long and difficult journey and even with insurance the financial aspects can quickly become overwhelming. Small bowel transplants are very rare and are only done in two hospitals in the entire country. When Donna is released from the hospital, she and a caregiver will need to stay in an apartment near the hospital for about three months, in another state….away from home, family and friends. Costly anti-rejection medicines that Donna will need to take for the rest of her life along with her housing needs, follow-up treatments and keeping up with the medicines and treatments for her other health issues puts a major burden on her and her family.