Transplant Type - Heart/Double-Lung

We are thrilled to report that Michelle received her lifesaving transplant on January 23, 2012!

Michelle was born with a hole in her heart, and by the time it was surgically repaired when she was 3, significant damage had been done to her lungs, causing pulmonary hypertension (PH). Even at a young age, Michelle was a fighter and never let her health issues get her down. Aside from not being able to participate in gym classes, she had a very normal childhood. Sadly, her health began to decline in her 20s, and ten years later she took a dramatic turn for the worse.

In the early 2000s, she was told she might not live more than five years. Of course, doctors also told her mother that she wouldn't survive her childhood but that didn't slow her down! She moved from Colorado to California, which provided a much better environment for her breathing and placed her near the leading hospital in the fight against PH. For 10 years, she relied on medication being pumped directly into her heart to stay alive, but doctors said a heart/double-lung transplant was critical to her survival.

Despite these challenges, Michelle is determined to live her life to the fullest. Even though she has been extremely limited and couldn't be as active as she'd like, she has donated her time and talents as an artist to illustrate a website and create paintings to raise funds for PH awareness and research. She is grateful for a strong support system of family and friends, who have been by her side every step of the way. She looks forward to returning to her active lifestyle of painting, cooking, hiking and playing with her dogs. More than anything, she dreams of spending many more years creating memories with her husband, Matt. But right now, she needs your help.

A heart/double-lung transplant costs more than $1 million. And that's only the beginning. Even with health coverage, she faces significant expenses related to her transplant. For the rest of her life, Michelle will need follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications. Post-transplant medications can be very costly, and they are as critical to her survival as the transplant itself.

She had a promising career in graphic design, but her illness forced her to stop working in the late-90s, adding to the financial strain.

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

Thank you for your generosity!

Patient Health Institute: Stanford Hospital