Debbie Cobuzio

Help My Mom Fight for Her Life: Support Her Lung Transplant Journey

Dear Friends, Family, and Kind Strangers,

I’m reaching out with a heart full of hope and urgency to share the story of someone incredibly dear to me — my mom.

She is currently fighting for her life at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, where she is hospitalized due to advanced Pulmonary Fibrosis, a devastating and progressive lung disease that makes every breath a struggle.

After months of worsening health, countless hospital visits, and unimaginable challenges, my mom has finally been placed on the lung transplant list. A double lung transplant is her only chance at survival. She will remain hospitalized until the day — the unknown, life-altering day — when she receives the gift of new lungs.

My mom is not just a patient — she is the heart of our family. She is a devoted wife, whose strength and love have been a steady anchor to my stepfather through every season of life. She is a beloved grandmother, who lights up at the sound of her grandchildren’s laughter and dreams of the day she can once again chase them through the yard or hold them close without struggling for air. Her presence is the kind that makes people feel safe, cherished, and deeply loved.

Until her transplant, our family is doing everything we can to support her. But we can’t do it alone.

Because of the severity of her condition and the need for specialized care, we’ve had to relocate from Virginia to Pennsylvania for the next year, leaving behind the comfort and security of home. The financial toll is immense — co-pays, relocation living expenses, temporary housing, parking, tolls, and the ongoing hospital costs that continue to rise every day.

We’ve partnered with Help Hope Live, a trusted nonprofit that will manage the funds from this campaign and ensure that every dollar goes directly toward supporting my mom’s journey — her care, her comfort, and her chance to breathe freely again.

This is more than a fundraiser — this is a lifeline. Every single penny you contribute brings my mom one step closer to stability, one step closer to hope, and one step closer to the life she still has so much left to live — as a wife, as a grandmother, and as the incredible woman we all love.

If you’ve ever loved someone so deeply that you’d do anything to ease their pain — you understand. If you’ve ever been on the edge of helplessness, searching for hope — you know.

Please consider donating, sharing, and holding our family in your thoughts. Together, with your support, we can lift her up while she fights for every breath.

With deepest gratitude,

Brooke Plogger & Greg Cobuzio