Wyrta Heagy

Dear Friends,
Let us tell you a little about our mom, Wyrta Heagy. Over Christmas of 2003 she suddenly became ill and suffered several strokes. She was diagnosed with Sneddon’s Syndrome, a rare condition for which there is no known cause or cure. Sneddon’s affects the blood vessels, causes blood clots and strokes and is known to share many features of Lupus, a somewhat better understood autoimmune disease. At about the same time, Mom began to have severe problems with breathing and was also diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although Mom had almost no lasting physical disabilities from the strokes, her lung disease continued to be extremely disabling and she was informed that her only chance at a healthy life would be to have a lung transplant.

Due to the COPD, Mom’s daily activities are very restricted and she requires oxygen twenty-four hours a day. She was evaluated for lung transplant at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and is now on the active waiting list.

Before Mom became ill, she was a full-time Assistant Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. She was active in biomedical research — the focus of her career for more than twenty years. Unfortunately, Mom’s illness now prevents her from pursuing her career goals and she has been unable to work. While she lives with one of us, we both will be helping her through this process and will be fundraising in her honor. Mom also has the support of, her grown grandson, Kyle, and is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Park Ridge, IL.

Even with insurance, Mom will have many uninsured transplant-related expenses such as: co-pays and deductibles, doctor visits, travel and relocation to Pittsburgh for an extended period of time and the costly immunosuppressant medications that she will need to take for the rest of her life. Our family is now charged with the task of fundraising to assist with some of these monumental expenses — and we need your help.

A fundraising campaign in Mom’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive. HelpHOPELive is a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for more than 28 years. All donations are tax-deductible and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only.At times like this, the help of friends, family, and community is greatly needed and appreciated to make the outcome successful. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Marcelle Heagy Michelle Heagy
781.267.5062 817.308.3434
[email protected] [email protected]