Emily Progin, PR and Communications Coordinator
eprogin@helphopelive.org / 800.642.8399
Release: Immediate
NEW LUNGS FINALLY HERE FOR MOM & VETERAN JULIE POSEY
Community of Support and Fundraising Brought Gift of Life Within Reach
CINCINNATI, Ohio—This month, Julie Posey got the life-changing gift she had been waiting for: a new set of lungs. Thanks to this gift of new life, the mother, grandmother, veteran, and community advocate will be able to move forward with greater health and hope than ever. The transplant was made possible in part by the community’s generous support of a transplant fundraising campaign through the nonprofit Help Hope Live.
Julie was diagnosed with an incurable and rare autoimmune disorder in 2016 that severely damaged her lung tissue. She became dependent on supplemental oxygen within just a year, and her medical team urged her to join the waiting list for a double-lung transplant.
The loving mother of four and grandmother of six grew up in College Hill and joined the Air Force. As part of the Air Force Reserve, she volunteered consistently as an HIV community outreach and patient care advocate. She has lived in Cincinnati for more than 25 years and contributed to causes ranging from child hunger to racial equity.
Because double-lung transplants require intensive care, they often create a financial burden for families like Julie’s. Out-of-pocket costs often include temporary relocation for transplant follow-up care, caregiving, lost work, and extremely expensive anti-rejection medication, which Julie will have to take for a lifetime. That’s why they turned to the trusted medical fundraising nonprofit Help Hope Live in February.
In just three months, the community raised $15,800. That total has now climbed to over $21,000.
Julie and her family got “the call” they had been waiting for on August 4. The successful surgery took almost eight hours.
Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be managed by the nonprofit to cover verified medical and related expenses. Help Hope Live verifies medical and financial need for every patient.
Help Hope Live is a national nonprofit that specializes in engaging communities in secure, tax-deductible fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness. Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised over $165 million to pay patient expenses. ###
Written by Emily Progin
