- Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 April 2013 20:20
Fundraiser Slated in Scottdale to Assist With Medical Expenses
Jerry Younkin, of Scottdale, will never take a single breath for granted. Last year, he received a lifesaving lung transplant, and the costs are still overwhelming.
Jerry Younkin, of Scottdale, will never take a single breath for granted. Last year, he received a lifesaving lung transplant, and the costs are still overwhelming.
After experiencing a persistent cough, Younkin, 63, saw his doctor who performed a
lung biopsy in 2009. Soon after, he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, which caused thickening and scarring of his lungs. Doctors said a lung transplant was critical to his survival.
The average lung transplant costs approximately $550,000. Even with health insurance, which covered a portion of the transplant costs, he still faces significant medical expenses related to the surgery. He will need a lifetime of follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications. These medications are very costly, and they’re as important to his survival as the transplant itself.
To help alleviate the financial burden, Younkin turned to the National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) for assistance with some of these financial burdens. NFT is a nonprofit organization that helps patients raise funds to pay for transplant-related expenses.
“We’re all so happy that Jerry received his transplant last year,” said Laura Hughes, NFT fundraising consultant. “But many people don’t realize the lifelong costs associated with transplantation. I know that Jerry would love nothing more than to spend many more happy, healthy years with his wife, children and loved ones. At NFT, we want to help him do just that.”
A spaghetti dinner will be held in Younkin’s honor Thursday, May 9 at 6:00 p.m. at the Scottdale Fireman’s Club, 405 Porter Ave. in Scottdale. Dinner is $8 per plate, which will include spaghetti, bread, salad, drink and a dessert. For more information, please contact Melissa Younkin Danser at msdanser@gmail.com or 724-875-7931.
To make a tax-deductible donation in honor of Younkin, please send a contribution to the NFT Pennsylvania Transplant Fund, 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Please be sure to write “in honor of Jerry Younkin” on the memo line. Secure donations also can be made online at www.transplants.org--select “Find an NFT Patient” to locate Younkin.
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