For Jeff Hanna, every breath is a struggle. He suffers from a lung disorder, and doctors say a lung transplant is his only hope. Friends and family are planning a fundraiser to help with the expenses.
Hanna, 42, was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2006. His father also suffered from the inflammatory lung disorder and died when Hanna was 12 years old. He is determined to beat the disease so he can spend many more years with his wife, children and grandchildren.
A lung transplant costs approximately $450,000. Even with health coverage, Hanna will face significant expenses. For the rest of his life, he will require follow-up care and expensive daily anti-rejection medications. The medications can range from $2,000 to $5,000 a month, and they are as essential to his survival as the transplant itself.
To help offset these expenses, Hanna turned to the National Foundation for Transplants, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping patients fundraise for their out-of-pocket expenses.
Volunteers are planning two upcoming fundraisers to help offset Hanna’s expenses:
Paws for a Cause, a dog wash event, will take place on Sunday, Aug. 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Community members can bring their dogs to A Day in Paradise, 444 W. Main St., #101 in Mesa.
The suggested donation is $10 for a wash and brush. Tooth brushing also will be available. A snack bar will be available for people and dogs, and the first 100 people will receive a dog leash.
Dine to Donate will take place Saturday, Aug. 28 and Sunday, Aug. 29 from 11 a.m. until closing at Applebee’s, 2053 S. Alma School Rd. Diners must tell their servers to count their orders for the Arizona Lung Fund in Hanna’s honor. Carside-to-go orders are included. Ten percent of sales will be donated to NFT in Hanna’s honor.
For more information, please contact Dirk Sundeen at newlungsforjeff@cox.net or 602-570-0982.
Because Hanna’s hospital is in Florida, 2,000 miles from his home, he had to relocate to be closer to the transplant center. He must remain in Florida until he receives his transplant and for several months post-transplant. His declining health prevents him from working, adding to the financial strain.
“Jeff and his family have been through so much,” said Kay Horne, NFT fundraising consultant, “and it’s so much harder because he’s had to pack up and move to a new area while he waits for his transplant. That places additional financial burdens on the family. At NFT, we’re working to help Jeff overcome his financial obstacles so he can begin a new life full of possibilities.”
To make a tax-deductible donation in honor of Hanna, please send a contribution to the NFT Arizona Lung Fund, 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Please be sure to write “in honor of Jeffrey Hanna” on the memo line. Secure donations also can be made online at www.transplants.org. Donors should click on “Patients We Help” to locate Hanna.
To read more about Hanna and upcoming events, please visit www.newlungsforjeff.org.
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. In the past 27 years, NFT’s fundraising campaigns have generated more than $56 million to assist patients.
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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