Let's Help Anna Breathe Again
Let's Help Anna Breathe Again
Anna lived the life of a girl on a farm with her sister and four brothers. An exceptional athlete, she enjoyed & excelled in sports. When she was just 8, Anna began having trouble breathing while playing soccer. She was diagnosed with asthma, given inhalers and off she went. Each year however, Anna's difficulty breathing continued to worsen. Symptoms became daily, hospitalizations became more frequent. Despite her increasing physical limitations, Anna did not stop trying; playing varsity sports as a freshman. But by this time, despite aggressive medical therapies, Anna could not run for more than a few minutes. With her tenacious nature, she would still compete until she'd literally collapse on the sidelines. Something was wrong. It was now evident that she was not suffering from just severe asthma but some other unknown disease afflicting her lungs. Life would forever change for Anna.
Since high school, Anna has spent much of her life in and out of hospitals, struggling to breathe, to make it up a flight of stairs, to walk for more than a few minutes without needing to go to the emergency room. Despite these obstacles, Anna graduated with degrees in Communication and Sociology from the University of San Diego and worked in Media Relations for the San Diego Padres for several years. But as her disease continued to progress, working - even part time - became nearly impossible.
In 2010 alone, Anna was hospitalized over 24 times. This year has been even more difficult, with increasing number of hospital admissions and multiple ICU stays already. Yet, Anna has never given up or lost hope. She doesn't complain nor does she want anybody to feel sorry for her, it's not her nature. She continues to study medical and health journals; she has traveled all over the globe seeking help from various doctors and specialists - visits to Europe, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, National Jewish Respiratory Hospital, UCSF, UCSD, Scripps, Weill/Cornell, NYU, Mass General and countless others. She has tried hundreds of eastern and western therapies and everything in between. She passionately researches and explores naturopathic and nutritional healing. A believer in alternative medicine and in healing holistically, Anna is doing everything she can to take care of, support, and nurture her body, mind, spirit, & heart. Anna smiles. She laughs, she gives, and she loves.
Anna's doctors say her case is unprecedented. Her disease is not only extremely rare, but a definitive diagnosis remains unknown. Doctors have never seen a lung disease of this severity with no known cause or effective treatment. What they do know is that she has a type of non-reversible obstructive and restrictive lung disease, causing progressive narrowing and fibrosis in her airways. This airway scarring leaves very little room for Anna to move air in and out of her lungs. Anna has suffered countless times from acute respiratory failure.
She uses oxygen and a machine to help her breathe and rest her overworked diaphragm. In addition to constant testing and meetings, Anna needs daily breathing treatments along with a myriad of medications and alternative therapies. Despite her vibrant, healthy appearance, she is suffering and it breaks our hearts to see her battle this everyday.
A lung transplant is now Anna's only option for survival. Her medical teams agree that without a transplant, Anna's prognosis is not good. She no longer responds to the aggressive therapies that once helped and she cannot stay on the massive doses her body requires right now.
BUT, there is GOOD NEWS! After many months of rigorous testing, Anna has finally been approved to receive a double lung transplant at UCLA Medical Center, one of the best transplant centers in the world. Her surgery costs 1.1 million dollars. Fortunately, her insurance covers 1 million of that cost. Even with insurance, she needs to raise funds to cover upcoming relocation and caregiving costs, critical anti-rejection medications and remaining transplant/hospitalization costs.
Right now, Anna needs our help more than ever. She needs our love and support. Anna cannot work though she continues to try when her body allows. She is in medical debt in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and never knows where her next dollar is coming from. Her family has exhausted their savings. She has had to lean on close friends to help, a difficult position for anyone. Yet you will not hear Anna complain of her circumstances. She lives with grace and gratitude.
Right now, in addition to medical costs, Anna needs to have money to pay for rent, food, medications, to fill her car up with gas and for medical bills and health insurance. The last thing on Anna's mind should be how to pay for these basic and immediate needs. Anna needs us to help her release the burden that should not be on her shoulder every time she comes out of the hospital.
Since high school, Anna has spent much of her life in and out of hospitals, struggling to breathe, to make it up a flight of stairs, to walk for more than a few minutes without needing to go to the emergency room. Despite these obstacles, Anna graduated with degrees in Communication and Sociology from the University of San Diego and worked in Media Relations for the San Diego Padres for several years. But as her disease continued to progress, working - even part time - became nearly impossible.
In 2010 alone, Anna was hospitalized over 24 times. This year has been even more difficult, with increasing number of hospital admissions and multiple ICU stays already. Yet, Anna has never given up or lost hope. She doesn't complain nor does she want anybody to feel sorry for her, it's not her nature. She continues to study medical and health journals; she has traveled all over the globe seeking help from various doctors and specialists - visits to Europe, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, National Jewish Respiratory Hospital, UCSF, UCSD, Scripps, Weill/Cornell, NYU, Mass General and countless others. She has tried hundreds of eastern and western therapies and everything in between. She passionately researches and explores naturopathic and nutritional healing. A believer in alternative medicine and in healing holistically, Anna is doing everything she can to take care of, support, and nurture her body, mind, spirit, & heart. Anna smiles. She laughs, she gives, and she loves.
Anna's doctors say her case is unprecedented. Her disease is not only extremely rare, but a definitive diagnosis remains unknown. Doctors have never seen a lung disease of this severity with no known cause or effective treatment. What they do know is that she has a type of non-reversible obstructive and restrictive lung disease, causing progressive narrowing and fibrosis in her airways. This airway scarring leaves very little room for Anna to move air in and out of her lungs. Anna has suffered countless times from acute respiratory failure.
She uses oxygen and a machine to help her breathe and rest her overworked diaphragm. In addition to constant testing and meetings, Anna needs daily breathing treatments along with a myriad of medications and alternative therapies. Despite her vibrant, healthy appearance, she is suffering and it breaks our hearts to see her battle this everyday.
A lung transplant is now Anna's only option for survival. Her medical teams agree that without a transplant, Anna's prognosis is not good. She no longer responds to the aggressive therapies that once helped and she cannot stay on the massive doses her body requires right now.
BUT, there is GOOD NEWS! After many months of rigorous testing, Anna has finally been approved to receive a double lung transplant at UCLA Medical Center, one of the best transplant centers in the world. Her surgery costs 1.1 million dollars. Fortunately, her insurance covers 1 million of that cost. Even with insurance, she needs to raise funds to cover upcoming relocation and caregiving costs, critical anti-rejection medications and remaining transplant/hospitalization costs.
Right now, Anna needs our help more than ever. She needs our love and support. Anna cannot work though she continues to try when her body allows. She is in medical debt in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and never knows where her next dollar is coming from. Her family has exhausted their savings. She has had to lean on close friends to help, a difficult position for anyone. Yet you will not hear Anna complain of her circumstances. She lives with grace and gratitude.
Right now, in addition to medical costs, Anna needs to have money to pay for rent, food, medications, to fill her car up with gas and for medical bills and health insurance. The last thing on Anna's mind should be how to pay for these basic and immediate needs. Anna needs us to help her release the burden that should not be on her shoulder every time she comes out of the hospital.
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