Amanda Smith

AMANDA’S STORY

My name is Amanda Smith. In 2008 I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension which was caused by a bad valve in my heart. This valve cannot be fixed and has over pressurized my lungs. In March 2011 I was admitted to the Mayo Clinic for heart failure. My heart and lungs are so badly damaged that the medicine I am taking is no longer helping me to get better. The doctors have tried all that is available and say that I am in need of a heart and double lung transplant.

I know tomorrow is not promised to me but I would like to help my wonderful husband Eric, an Iraq War veteran and volunteer fire captain, to raise our three beautiful girls (Andrea Linton, Madison Linton, and Skylar Smith). I want to see them graduate from high school and someday get married and have kids themselves.

I am currently trying to raise money to help with the overwhelming expenses that insurance doesn’t cover. This money will be used for housing, medicine co-pays, travel, etc. The costs can reach over $5000 a month after transplant and my husband and I will have to relocate to Jacksonville, FL for three months away from our sweet girls.

To help 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, and are held by HelpHOPELive in the Southeast Heart/Lung Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only.

Thank you for consideration of a contribution. Thank you for everything.

Amanda Smith