Marty Zelei

November 27th, 2018
Hello,
Its been quite a while since I’ve posted any updates, and I am sorry for that. This past year has been both eventful and uneventful. My health is stable and I am thankful for that. I have had a few lung infections, a few treatable bouts with flu bugs, some surgery for acid reflux,(a re-do of the surgery I had in Phoenix in 2013.) and of course my ankle and knees. My lung function is still consistent, but dipping and regaining in percentages at times. I am still going to the Cleveland Clinic for my medical treatments, and for the most part,(about 99% of the time) all of the Drs. are like a team: consulting with each other to come up with the best medical treatment plan. For some reason, they all say I am a complicated medical case. (wink wink). The thing is… through all of this, God is always here with us, and has given us strength and patience.

We have been enjoying our time here in Ohio with our family and our grandchildren. It is amazing just how fast time goes
by. This summer though, our grandchildren moved to South Carolina, we sure miss them, but ate grateful for FaceTime. Thanksgiving was extra special this year, they made the drive to Ohio, so we spent as much time with them as possible.

We want to thank EVERYONE who had made donations to the fundraising campaign for medical expenses. We so much appreciate you and your support for me. (I also need and appreciate your kind words and prayers).

If on this Giving Tuesday, anyone is considering making a charitable donation, I would appreciate your consideration for my medical expense fundraiser here at Help Hope Live. Help Hope live is a not for profit agency that helps raise funds for transplant medical expenses and catastrophic medical situations. Any donations made go directly to my medical expenses( also tax deductible.)Thank you and have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season.

Dec 31, 2017
Happy New Year Everyone… We have had another blessed year. We have had some amazing times with our family and friends this past year. Marty has had a few medical challenges this year. He is doing well with his transplant, his lung function has dipped slightly, but remains stable. We want to thank everyone for their support this year, prayer, words of encouragement, or your donations for his medical expenses through this site. Help Hope Live is an amazing organization to be partnered with. Hope that you had a Merry Christmas and will have a Blessed New Year.
Nov 27, 2016
Hello Everyone… Another year has flown by so quickly. Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is just around the corner. We are still in Ohio, enjoying our family and grandkids. We have so much to be thankful for, God’s provision and protection, family, and friends both long time and newly made. We were invited to go to Disney World with our grandchildren in July. We had so much fun making memories and watching them meet and greet the characters they love so much. It was our first time there. We also were able to celebrate my 8 year transplant anniversary while we were there. While I am so thankful for my live, I think of my donor and their family on the 26th of July.

I have been in pretty decent health this year with a few glitches though. Last year I had fallen and broken my elbow, that has healed nicely although I do not have full range of motion. I have also had a few other hospital admissions for various cardio and respiratory issues, 5 all together. Some of the medical staff at the Cleveland Clinic joking call us “frequent flyers”

This year marks the 10 year since I first became ill with the respiratory infection. It seems strange like time has flown at the same time it goes so slow. November 29, 2006 is when I went into the hospital with the unknown illness and there I stayed until the middle of June. God has been so good through this all.

A quick update… Marty had his 7 year “Transversary” this past July. He has been blessed with a second change of living thanks to the selfless decision of one person. Below is a brief history of his journey with his transplant.

As most of you know, since November 29, 2006, Marty has been in a battle with lung disease. He had spent many months, a good part of 2007, at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn. During his stay, he was tested for many, many things, all to come back with “negative” results. He was in and out of the hospital a few times throughout 2007, but in February 2008, he began requiring more supplemental oxygen. He had a lung biopsy in March 2008. It showed a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis. So, what we thought began as a normal cold in 2006, ended up being life threatening.

His pulmonologist, Dr. Alpa Shah, then referred him to The Heart and Lung Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix. After the consultation with the transplant team, we decided to go ahead with the lung transplant. We began the evaluation process to see if Marty would even meet the criteria on July 16th, and completed the tests on the 18th. The transplant team met on the 24th of July and decided that Marty would be a good candidate for a lung transplant, basically healthy enough to make it through the transplant, and sick enough to need one.

He was officially “listed” on that same Thursday afternoon. We went about our daily business as best as we could, always carrying our phones with us, waiting for “the call.” Well, the transplant nurse coordinator, Kate, called Marty on Saturday the 26th with the question, “Marty, how would you feel about getting some new lungs today?” That call sure came a lot quicker than either of us thought. His response was a definite YES, and we headed off to the hospital.

To shorten the long journey, Marty received a new pair of lungs, through the night, and the surgery was completed about 5:00am on Sunday morning. He is doing well and recovering as expected. He has been a real trooper throughout this journey. There will be more updates in the future. We both want to thank everyone for their love, prayers, and support over these past few years.

To make a contribution to Marty’s fundraising campaign, click the “Donate Now” button. To share Marty’s story with others in your community who might wish to learn about his campaign, see the “Share My Page” options on the top right side of this page.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800-642-8399.

Thank you for your support!

Update 10/19/09

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Marty is doing real well. He continues to progress and maintain with his recovery. In July we celebrated his one year anniversary by holding a Virtual Spaghetti Dinner. We want to thank everyone who participated and made a contribution.

Please check out his Website for more current updates. www.martysnewlungs.blogspot.com

Thank you everyone!

June 1, 2011

We are coming up on Marty’s 3 year “Transversary” He is doing real well, and is enjoying living his life. We have done some traveling (road trips) this past year to see family in Kentucky and in Ohio. We are now bracing ourselves for the Arizona summer, but thankful that we have not had to deal with the rain and flooding that some of our family have had to contend with.

We are also hosting a fundraiser, a Virtual Spaghetti Dinner, to assist with Marty’s upcoming medical expenses. We are looking forward to his three year tests non the less. There is a flyer on the left you can click on to get the details.

This past year there have been some things that have come up, like some flu and colds, but NO rejection….

PLEASE SIGN MY GUEST BOOK!
THANK YOU

check out my blog
www.martysnewlungs.blogspot.com

Family and friends of Marty Zelei are raising money to pay for uninsured medical expenses associated with his lung transplant. Marty lives in Scottsdale, AZ and is being treated at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center.

Marty has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live provides both tax-deductibility to the full extent allowed by law, and fiscal accountability to his contributors. Contributors can be sure that funds contributed will be used only to pay or reimburse medically-related expenses.