Sanae Halprin

Family and friends of Sanae Halprin are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with transplantation.

One spring day in 2019, I woke up with violent coughs in the middle of the night and couldn’t breathe. I managed to drive myself to the nearest ER and got admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. I got discharged in several days but had to go back again within a month or so for the same issue. In the fall of the same year, I was diagnosed with Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, one of the Interstitial Lung Diseases. ILD is not reversible and there is no cure for it. The only thing you can do is maintain what you have as long as you can. I was holding up well until the end of 2023 when I was hospitalized again for pneumonia. I was hospitalized twice after that in 2024. Then, my worst fear, a lung transplant was suggested. I was devastated to realize this was much more serious than I previously thought. I had to stop working and cancel the annual trip to Japan to see my family.

Before this disease, I worked as a hospitality professional for more than 30 years, trying to bring smiles to our guests’ faces. I worked as a sommelier, so wine was my passion. It made me so happy to see people’s satisfying faces when they have good food and wine! Every wine has a story and it was my job to tell that. I enjoyed it a lot.

I also enjoyed volunteering. My local favorite one was with Get Outdoors Nevada to clean up parks and trails. I always looked forward to volunteering at Hospice du Rhône in Paso Robles, CA. It was all about wine and Rhône is my favorite wine region of the world! I also enjoyed packing meals for kids and seniors at Three Square and serving meals at Rescue Mission.

I was told how expensive it could be to have this procedure. I have to move to L.A., close to UCLA where the transplant takes place for at least three months following the surgery and the medications are very costly as well even with the insurance. But not going through with it is not an option because I need to do it to take care of my dog, Sushi until he goes to the rainbow bridge and to go home to Japan to see my family, especially my aging mother who can’t travel to the United States anymore and old friends! I don’t have any family living in this country to help me financially or physically. This fundraising would help take some pressure off from the financial burden.

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!