Timothy Daugherty

This is Timothy Daugherty (age 29), and he was diagnosed as an infant with cystic fibrosis (CF). People born with CF must manage this genetic disease daily, which Tim has done successfully, but CF is a progressive, life shortening disease with no cure. Recently, a rare bacterial infection caused significant damage to his lungs which left Tim in urgent need of a double lung transplant as his lungs were quickly failing.

Tim moved to California to live with his only sibling, Christopher, who with the help of his wife, Natasha, will be fully supporting Tim’s medical care and pre- and post-transplant needs. Unfortunately, Tim’s mother, Anne Marie (Majic) Daugherty, is in the final stages of early onset Alzheimer’s disease and is being taken care of by his father, Ron Daugherty, in Oklahoma. Tim’s support system is limited to his brother, his brother’s wife, and his cousin that lives 150 miles north of San Diego.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited life-threatening disorder that damages the lungs and digestive system. CF causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time. In people with cystic fibrosis, the body produces mucus that is abnormally thick and sticky. This abnormal mucus obstructs airways, leading to severe problems with breathing and bacterial infections in the lungs. These infections cause chronic coughing, wheezing, and inflammation. Over time, mucus buildup and infections result in permanent lung damage, including the formation of scar tissue (fibrosis) and cysts in the lungs, and eventually, respiratory failure.

Cystic fibrosis used to be considered a fatal disease of childhood. Through research and improved treatments there are better ways to manage the disease, and now many people with cystic fibrosis live well into adulthood. Tim has been blessed to be one of these people. Unfortunately, Tim’s lungs have taken him as far as they’ve been able to go.

Tim is currently in the ICU at UC San Diego Health (La Jolla). He had severely low lung function and struggled to breathe. Because of the low lung function, his heart was working twice as hard (which can lead to heart failure). He had multiple infections in his lungs that were resistant to the different antibiotics his CF team tried treating him with. Tim was being evaluated at this top-rated transplant facility to see if he was a candidate for a transplant, and after several medical images/scans taken, stress tests, many, MANY blood samples, etc., he received the news that he was a candidate and he was placed on the UNOS transplant waiting list! Two days after being placed on the transplant list a miracle happened! The doctors told Tim they may have lungs for him, and after they examined the donor’s lungs, Tim was in surgery and had the lung transplant that night. This has been an unexpected whirlwind of events that have us
scrambling to get Tim’s needs in place.

Tim was not able to work for the last several months due to the degree of his illness, and because of this, he drained all his savings to live on and pay for his meds. The position he is in now is maintaining his health care is costly, even with insurance, there are additional costs that are not covered. We are hopeful there are people that can help Tim. We are asking for this financial support to help pay for the growing medical expenses. Additionally, a requirement for the transplant was Tim must live within a 30-minute drive time from the hospital for post-op care for at least 3 months. Tim had to relocate from out-of-state to be at this transplant facility, and the nearest relative, Natasha, who is his primary caregiver, lives one hour away from the hospital, which wouldn’t qualify him for the transplant requirement. This means Tim and Natasha need a temporary rental to live near the hospital. Housing in California is quite expensive, and it’s a cost that was not anticipated. Additionally, Natasha is a nurse who recently had to quit her job at a home health company to take on Tim’s full-time, daily care. This is being estimated by the transplant team of doctors as at least the next 3 to 6 months, and possibly a year.

Tim continues to be strong, and he feels truly blessed to have this chance at a longer life through this donor’s incredible gift. Recovery and follow-up after this transplant will be a long road, that the doctors stated as “being a marathon and not a sprint.” We kindly ask anyone who can, please help. No donation is too small and will be greatly appreciated. Prayers are more than welcome. Please consider leaving a message for Tim in the comments section. It truly helps to lift his spirits and keeps him positive during his recovery. You can also help by spreading the word and sharing this on your social media platforms. Thank you for reading and bless you for donating!

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

Timothy 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!