Transplant Type - Lung

In 2005, Claudette began feeling increasingly short of breath when walking up the stairs at work. After seeing her doctor, she was diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Sadly, her mother, father and sister-in-law died from the same disease.

Doctors have told Claudette a double-lung transplant is essential to her survival. She was placed on the transplant waiting list at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2009.

Despite her health challenges, Claudette is a fighter and is thankful for the opportunity to receive a second chance at life. She married Charles just one year prior to her diagnosis, and he has been by her side every step of the way. Claudette is thankful for the steadfast support of her family and friends and relies on her faith to keep a positive attitude.

She looks forward to being able to take a deep breath again, and is anxious to resume her normal activities such as taking care of her husband and their household and gardening. More than anything Claudette wants to spend many more years with her husband watching her three grandchildren grow up. But she needs your help.

A double-lung transplant costs approximately $650,000. And that's only the beginning. Even with health insurance, Claudette faces significant medical expenses. For the rest of her life, she will need follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications. The post-transplant medications can cost nearly $5,000 per month--and they are as critical to her survival as the transplant itself.

Although she enjoyed her job as a legal research clerk, Claudette's declining health prevents her from working. Because the transplant center is more than two hours from her home in Maine, she will incur significant expenses when traveling for doctors' appointments and follow-up visits, adding to her financial strain.

You can help.
To make a donation to NFT in honor of Claudette, click the link below her photo. If you'd prefer to send your gift by mail, please send it to the NFT Maine Lung Fund, 5350 Poplar Avenue, Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Please be sure to write "in honor of Claudette Fournier" on the memo line.

Thank you for your generosity!

Patient Health Institute: Massachusetts General Hospital