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Spaghetti dinner to help transplant recipient Ken Berkebile |
| Jackson, N.J., Jan. 22, 2010 – Ken Berkebile, 58, is thankful for every breath he takes. He suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and doctors told him a lung transplant was his only hope for survival. He received the transplant in July. |
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| Publish Date: 09:41PM 01/25/10 |
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Jackson, N.J., Jan. 22, 2010 – Ken Berkebile, 58, is thankful for every breath he takes. He suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and doctors told him a lung transplant was his only hope for survival. He received the transplant in July.
A lung transplant costs approximately $450,000, and that is only the beginning. Berkebile faces significant expenses related to his transplant. For the rest of his life, he will require costly follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications. These medications could cost as much as $5,000 per month.
Berkebile, a Marine veteran, turned to the National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) for assistance in alleviating some of these financial burdens. NFT is a nonprofit organization that helps patients raise funds to pay for transplant-related expenses.
Volunteers are planning a spaghetti dinner Friday, Feb. 5 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at AMVETS Post 2, 1290 Toms River Rd. Dinner is $10 for adults and $5 for children 7 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at the door. The event will also include homemade bread for purchase and raffle tickets for a gift basket.
Food donations will be provided by Rosato’s Save Mart of Toms River, Joey's Place Ristorante of Whiting, Foodtown of Whiting, and Knock Out Pizza of Jackson.
For more information about the upcoming event, contact Shirley Berkebile at 732-849-5305 or shirleya2007@aol.com.
To make a tax-deductible donation in honor of Berkebile, please send a contribution to the NFT New Jersey Lung Fund, 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Please be sure to write “in honor of Ken Berkebile” on the memo line. Secure donations also can be made online at www.transplants.org. Donors should click on “Patients We Help” to locate Berkebile.
About NFT
NFT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Memphis, Tenn. that has been helping transplant patients overcome financial obstacles since 1983. NFT provides fundraising expertise and advocacy to transplant patients by organizing fundraising campaigns in the patients’ own communities.
NFT currently assists more than 1,000 transplant candidates and recipients nationwide. For more information about NFT, please call 800-489-3863 or visit www.transplants.org.
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