Steve was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at birth in June 1991, a life-long genetic disease affecting the lungs and the pancreas, causing frequent lung infections and malnutrition.
Life with Cystic Fibrosis has been tremendously challenging and filled with many doctor visits, hospital stays, along with multiple daily medications and airway clearance treatments. ?While breathing is a constant struggle, even on good days Steve has always felt he was breathing through a straw. This struggle was amplified in 2014 when he had a lung collapse and was nearly taken from this earth. Since then, he has been on continuous 24/7 supplemental oxygen with a lung function ranging from 20-26%. Steve defies the odds and continues living life with enthusiasm and fire.
Steve continues to rise above his disease. He has fought hard for his health, taking numerous medications multiple times a day, committing hours to breathing treatments, completing rounds of home and hospitalized IV antibiotics several times a year, and more. Steve has been a long time car enthusiast and loves nothing more than being behind the wheel of his car. Steve actively participates in his church and also takes part in their young adults Christian group. He also loves spending time with friends and family.
Steve has recently had yet another lung collapse and is now facing either another surgery to fix that lung or may be up to face a double lung transplant if the lung cannot be fixed.
Steve’s resilience and dedication to his health has held off a double-lung transplant for 10+ hard-fought years, but the time has arrived with a vengeance, and this procedure may becoming his best – and only – chance to breathe and live life fully once again. The transplant timeline, once it arrives, is hard to determine and nearly impossible to prepare for … mentally or financially. It involves an evaluation process with many tests and procedures to determine eligibility for placement on the donor list, waiting for insurance to approve the transplant once evaluations are complete, waiting for the call that lungs are available, hoping and praying that call comes soon, an 8-12 hour surgery, several weeks of recovery followed by months and months of his body learning to live with new organs, battling complications that may arise, and adjusting to a new way of life…
The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) helps children who need a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support. COTA also works with individuals of any age with a single-gene disorder such as Polycystic Kidney Disease, Cystic Fibrosis or Sickle Cell Disease. COTA is the nation’s only fundraising organization solely dedicated to raising life-saving dollars in honor of transplant-needy families. 100% of each contribution made to COTA in honor of our patients helps meet transplant-related expenses. COTA’s services are free of charge and gifts to COTA are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.