Deborah Herrero

Hello, my name is Debbie, I currently live in Joliet, IL. I am a 58-year-old Mom of three and a Grammy to a beautiful one year old and newborn grandson.

Our family is looking forward to the arrival of his little brother in April.
I have been listed on the UNOS transplant list for a double lung transplant and will need help with all the expenses that come along with it that will not be covered by Insurance.

Below is my story of how it started and my struggle to get someone to listen.

I want to tell you a little about how it started and why I have come to Help Hope Live for fundraising.

Back in 2016, I was overweight, and I knew I was not healthy, so I decided it was time to get in shape. I went to my doctor and explained my concerns, I was sent to a nutritionist and weight loss clinic. I took it very seriously, stopped drinking pop and started working out. I went from barely being able to walk around the block to almost running five miles, five days a week! I lost 60 pounds and felt great and have pretty much kept most of it off.

However, very quickly I went from walking five miles a day to barely walking a flight of stairs.
Near the end of 2017, I was walking up a flight of stairs at home and I could not catch my breath! My husband was standing at the top of the stairs and looked at me with concern and asked if I was okay. I explained I had never felt this kind of breathing loss in my life, it was almost like I could not get enough air in or enough air out at the same time. These symptoms continued for about two weeks non-stop, so I made an appointment with my doctor. The doctor’s office sent me to the hospital for tests. The doctor finally called and said that my lung nodules had multiplied, I said multiplied? I didn’t even know I ever had one let alone multiple! It started with a bad dry cough that would not go away. I asked for another referral for another Pulmonologist. He sent me for scans and showed me some the results and when he showed me how my lungs looked it reminded me of Swiss cheese! He had mentioned something about ground glass pattern. My breathing kept getting worse, but my oxygen saturation was at 100%. I was determined to find out the cause on my own; so, I started researching my symptoms and produced a diagnosis of Pulmonary Fibrosis which has a life expectancy of 3 to 5 years. This saved my life, literally.

I sent my Pulmonologist an email and asked him if it could be PF. He disagreed but offered to refer me to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for further testing. At Northwestern Memorial, I saw a wonderful
Pulmonologist who finally listened to me. He let me explain what was going one and agreed that it sound like I had PF in one or both of my lungs. Getting to this point took 18 months of requesting new doctors and researching on my own to find a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.

I don’t like asking for help, but I will have a lot of out-of-pocket expenses with co-pays, transportation to and from my home and the transplant center, plus my caregiver and medications that I will be required to take for the rest of my life.
I have chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Give button. For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you so much for any help you can give,

Debbie

Deborah has chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Give button.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!