This is my beautiful friend Katrina. Today is her birthday, but Cystic Fibrosis is killing her. She is in ICU, on a ventilator and she has two weeks before she loses the option of having a life-saving double lung transplant. Here is a letter from her mom:
Hello Friends and Family:
Yesterday, my daughter, Katie was moved to ICU at Thornton and was put on a ventilator. This means bluntly that we have only two weeks to discover two donated and fully vetted and qualified transplantable lung lobes or to have a cadaveric transplant and to successfully transplant those lungs. After two weeks on the ventilator there is no more opportunity for transplant. Moreover it is extremely tough for a CF patient to be able to live after being on life support for that length of time.
Here is exactly what you can do to help.
· If you are under 55, have type A or O blood and are at least 5’ 9” and are willing to give up one of your five lung lobes to Katie. Call my husband at (760) 579-8275 and we will get you tested to be a cross-match. Katrina is a very difficult match because of being transfused years ago and therefore her blood chemistry changed. The test to see if you are a suitable cross match is simple and painless. If you are a match, USC will take it from there.
· Post the need for transplant donors to every friend and Facebook contacts right now! Please ask them to consider giving one lobe to her IF they qualify. Please make certain that they understand how critical it is to act now.
· Please ask your friends, family and congregations to pray for Katie now.
· Because of the length of time it takes to find a donor…and now we have only two weeks to accomplish this…we can only identify potential donors for testing through this first week. Please understand that there is absolutely no time to waste.
Please I implore you to act now, right now. Please do not hesitate.
Thank you for your consideration in lovingly and prayerfully considering this massively bold request immediately. Please help me save my daughter’s life.
END LETTER.
I would give anything to be able to help Katrina. The hardest part about this is being so helpless. I don't want to lose another friend to this disease. It is so painful. Unfortunately, I don't think Katrina would appreciate my lungs! What I can do is send my love and all my energy and prayers for her at this time. Ryan will be tested tomorrow to see if he is a match. We don't know what else to do, we love Katrina and her husband Phil so much.
My birthday wishes for Katrina are:
That in the next few days, a compatible donor will be found and that she will receive either a cadaveric transplant or a living lobar transplant.
That she will regain her strength and be able to fully recover from this operation.
That she will celebrate many many birthdays to come and continue to bless the lives of everyone who knows her.
Happy Birthday Katrina, I believe in miracles. I love you. xoxo
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