Carmen Rodriguez

Carmen Needs a Transplant and Our Help

A mother of two, grandmother of one, and the primary caregiver of my late parents, I live with breathing difficulty every day. Always an active person, I worked fulltime and used to enjoy taking long walks and gardening. Now it is difficult for me to complete necessary household chores; even walking from room to room is difficult. I quickly get out of breath and am on oxygen 24 hours a day. A lung transplant is my only option for a long, healthy, active life.

Originally from New Jersey, Burlington has been my home for the past two years. In 2008, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis which caused scarring on my lungs. In 2012, after relocating to North Carolina, I was evaluated at Duke University Hospital where it was determined that I have Interstitial Lung Disease and I was placed on the lung transplant list.

Organ transplantation is lifesaving, but also very expensive. Not many families have the resources to meet the financial obligations of transplantation. Even with insurance, there are many out- of-pocket expenses such as travel for pre- and post-surgery evaluations, expenses for temporary relocation at the time of transplant and during the recovery period, and costly medications for immunosuppressant medications that I will have to take for the rest of my life. At times like this, the help and prayers of friends, family and community are greatly needed to make the outcome successful and are very much appreciated.

To assist with these out-of-pocket expenses, a fundraising campaign in my honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in South-Atlantic Lung Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only.

Thank you for your prayers,

Carmen Rodriguez
336-343-8552