Colleen Kleinhenz

COLLECTIVE BREATH

Our dear wife, mother, grandmother, and friend Colleen suffers from a rare lung disease that, beginning in the fall of 2010, required supplemental oxygen and deprived her of an otherwise healthy life. Just before Thanksgiving 2011, when it became fully apparent that the disease left her with no other option for survival, she relocated from her Portland home to a Seattle apartment to await a life-saving lung transplant. Unfortunately, Colleen’s condition rapidly deteriorated, and she was hospitalized just before Christmas. Basic tasks such as bathing and getting out of bed were no longer possible without professional medical assistance. In an appointment with the University of Washington Medical Center’s (UWMC’s) Lung Transplant Team on March 1, 2012, it became clear that Colleen’s eligibility for transplant was nearing an end; she was becoming too de-conditioned to survive the rigors of transplant. With minimal time remaining, Colleen persevered and on the morning of March 6th, she received the call—the Transplant Team found a match.

The transplant occurred in the early hours of March 7th, providing Colleen with two healthy lungs from a donor in Hawaii. After just two-and-a-half days in the intensive care unit on a breathing machine, the tube was removed and—for the first time in over 18 months—Colleen was breathing independently, just like the rest of us! Less than a week later, she transferred from the ICU to a regular hospital bed. Just over two weeks after transplant, Colleen transferred to the UWMC rehabilitation unit, where she received four hours of physical and occupational therapy per day, walking the halls of the hospital, working out in the therapy gym, and practicing everyday tasks necessary for living in her home. On April 12th– for the first time since December — Colleen was discharged back to the Seattle apartment. From this point forward, the Transplant team projects that she will spend upwards of three months in the Seattle apartment, keeping herself in close proximity to the Team, attending weekly appointments at UWMC, and continuing with a rigorous therapy routine on an outpatient basis.

The transplant process has been medically, emotionally, and financially draining. Colleen’s physical condition entering transplant was weaker than most recipients. However, thanks to her longstanding healthy lifestyle, steadfast faith, and tremendous motivation to make the most of this second opportunity, Colleen is making great progress in her recovery. Many of you have already sent prayers and/or cards offering emotional support for Colleen, and it has meant a great deal to her and her family.

In honor of the woman we know as one of the most giving souls we’ve ever met, we humbly appeal for your help with the financial strain. While Colleen’s insurance covers many of the costs associated with transplant and post-transplant care, we hope to raise $25,000 to offset what it does not cover, the most burdensome of which are her $5250 out-of-pocket insurance maximum, the co-pays for the life-sustaining but costly post-transplant anti-rejection medications, and the Seattle apartment we must keep until she is cleared to return home to Portland sometime in the next several months. Additionally Colleen requires 24-hour caregiver presence, most of which is covered by family, though travel expenses are significant. Daughter Becky spends weekdays in Seattle and rides the train back to Portland on the weekend for her part-time job. Her husband Carl does the opposite, working weekdays in Portland and driving up to Seattle on the weekends. Finally, her sons Joe and Doug spend 5-10 days in Seattle each month.

A fundraising campaign in Colleen’s 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, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Northwest Lung Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Your financial gifts will be greatly appreciated and will help Colleen and Carl make it through this difficult time. Thank you in advance for considering a contribution.

With sincere gratitude,

The Kleinhenz family
503-287-4796