Diane Graham

Dear Family and Friends,

Several years ago I was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). At the time of my diagnosis, I had a full-time job and was very active with family, friends, work and hobbies. However, after I was hospitalized in October 2009, I was forced to leave my job. I now require 24-hour oxygen therapy. My condition has worsened to the point that my only option is to undergo a lung transplant.

I am a wife, a mother of two daughters and the grandmother of beautiful twin five year old girls. My family means everything to me. There are so many things I cannot do, things most people wouldn’t give a second thought to like playing with my granddaughters, going out, and walking even moderate distances. I have to know what the weather will be, how many steps I may have to go up or how far I will have to walk before I can plan anything. Then there is always the fear of running out of oxygen. A lung transplant will allow me to regain my active lifestyle.

I have undergone medical testing at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA and I have worked very hard for the last 18 months to qualify for a lung transplant. I attend pulmonary therapy twice a week, and walk everyday to stay strong. After months of being deferred, I was successfully added to the lung transplant list in January 2013.

Right now I am facing the biggest challenge of my life. Organ transplantation is life saving, but extremely expensive. My insurance will cover 80 percent of my surgery; however I will be left with many out-of-pocket expenses, including pre- and post-operation expenses, travel and relocation to Boston, and the costly immunosuppressant medications I will have to take for the rest of my life.

To help ease this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in my honor has been established with Help Hope Live, a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for over 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law, are held by Help Hope Live in the Northeast Lung Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only. Thank you for considering making a contribution. Any amount that you can give will make a difference and takes us closer to our goal.

Thanks for your support!

With sincere gratitude,

Diane Graham
[email protected]