Lydia Burton is a 58 year-old loving mother and grandmother, and her adorable grandkids are her pride and joy. Fifteen years ago, Lydia was very active and in the prime of her life. She loved to dance, held a full-time job and was always on the go! One day while she was on her way to work, Lydia ran to catch the bus and all of a sudden wasn’t able to breathe. She went to the hospital and was diagnosed with asthma, and after a breathing treatment she felt better and went home. A couple of weeks later, the same thing happened again and with further testing, the doctors discovered Lydia had an advanced case of emphysema. She was eventually diagnosed with COPD and she now relies on full time oxygen just to be able to breathe. With a compromised immune system, the slightest of illnesses will potentially put Lydia in the hospital, as her lungs have deteriorated and she continues to struggle to breathe. Her physicians have now informed her that without a lifesaving lung transplant, Lydia’s life expectancy is only a few more years, and she will quickly run out of options.
Lydia loves to spend time volunteering at her church and has even committed her life to prayer and the Lord Jesus Christ. Church and the support from her faith community have been instrumental in her faith that her lung transplant will be a success. When Lydia is down or needs support, there has not been a time that her church did not help. God has truly given her the strength to push forward, even on the days her health is deteriorating and Lydia is at her worst.
A lung transplant will save Lydia’s life, but she will have monumental out-of-pocket expenses related to her surgery. Co-pays and deductibles, health insurance premiums, medical appointment and clinic visits are costing her hundreds of dollars each week. Once Lydia completes her medical evaluation, she will be listed for transplant and need to relocate to live closer to the Cleveland Clinic. Travel, lodging and meal fees will quickly add up to more than she can handle alone. Around the clock care is also required, and she is also required to live near the hospital post-transplant for up to a year. Finally and most important, she will have costly medications to halt rejection post-transplant, and Lydia will need these medications for the rest of her life.
To help with this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in Lydia’s honor has been established with Help Hope Live, 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 to the full extent allowed by law, are held by Help Hope Live in the New York Lung Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only.
Lydia has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility to the full extent allowed by law for donors. Donors can be sure that funds donated will be used only to pay or reimburse medically-related expenses. To make a donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the yellow DONATE NOW button. For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.
Lydia is a true survivor and is blessed with the time to enjoy her life, family, and friends. She longs for the day she can breathe fresh air without an oxygen tank and is so thankful from the bottom of her heart for your donations to her cause. Thank you ahead of time for your prayers and support!
Gratefully,
Lydia’s loving and supportive family
