Eddie Etheridge

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Dear Family and Friends,

Breathing is something we all take for granted – I know I always have. Until last October, that is, when I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable lung disease. People always think & I quote ‘This can’t happen to me,’ but it did happen to me. All of a sudden, you realize that your legs have given out and you can’t even take a step. Your heart is beating so fast, but you don’t know why.

Now, after a year of being in and out of the hospital, my doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL have told me that my only chance for survival is a life-saving lung transplant. I am on oxygen 24/7 and I was forced to quit my job because I am too sick to work. Although it is difficult, I try to look on the bright side of things. My hope is that after my lung transplant, I can get back to my life as I previously knew it.

Transplantation is life-saving, but also very expensive. Even with insurance, I will still have many out-of-pocket costs, such as: doctor visits, co-pays and deductibles, travel and relocation to Jacksonville, and the costly immunosuppressant medications I will have to take for the rest of my life. The medication alone can cost thousands of dollars each month. These costs are overwhelming, which is why the transplant team at the Mayo Clinic recommended that I begin fundraising.

To ease this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in my honor has been established with Help Hope Live for my uninsured expenses. Help Hope Live is a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for more than 30 years. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only. Asking for help is never easy, and this is no exception. I sincerely appreciate your support during this difficult time.

Thank you,

Eddie Etheridge
229-343-5249
[email protected]