Cheryl Lynn Latham

Cheryl Latham

Transplant Type: Double Lung

Cheryl Latham has received a new lease on life. In 1994, she was diagnosed with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. As this is a hereditary lung disease, she discovered that other family members had likely also suffered from this disease after doing research based on her symptoms. While Cheryl has been on oxygen since 1998, she contracted bronchiectasis in 2016, which immediately made a double lung transplant critical to her survival. Thankfully she received her transplant on April 18, 2018!

During such a difficult time, Cheryl is thankful for the love and support of her family, including her husband of over 24 years, Daniel, as well as her daughter and 3 grandchildren. Although she hasn’t lived a normal life for the past 20 years, which has been difficult for her whole family, she has taken remarkably good care of herself. Cheryl was simply unlucky to be born with this disease. However, she has never let illness stop her from being a relentlessly positive person. When she has felt able, Cheryl has been able to find joy in her favorite activities, such as knitting, playing with her grandchildren and pets, going to dinner and the movies, and taking walks with Daniel. As she recovers from her transplant, she looks forward to being more spontaneous, living life untied to an oxygen tank, and enjoying the simplest thing of all—breathing. But, right now, she still needs your help.

The average double lung transplant costs more than $1.1 million. And that’s only the beginning. Even with insurance, which covered a portion of the transplant costs, Cheryl still faces significant out-of-pocket expenses related to the surgery. For the rest of her life, she will need follow-up care and anti-rejection medications. Cheryl’s post-transplant medications can cost as much as $5,000 a month, and they’re as critical to her survival as the transplant itself. Furthermore, she and her required caregiver have had to relocate to Seattle for up to six months during recovery from her transplant, adding travel, food, and lodging expenses of $3700/mo on top of the already high cost of transplantation.

You can help by making a tax-deductible donation to NFT in honor of Cheryl. If you'd prefer to send your gift by mail, please send it to the Oregon Transplant Fund, 3249 W Sarazen's Circle, Suite 100, Memphis, TN 38125. Please be sure to write "in honor of Cheryl Latham” on the memo line.

Thank you for your generosity!

Patient Health Institute: University of Washington