Girl with CF needs a double lung transplant – let’s help

I received the email below and it broke my heart.  It came from my stepfather’s cousin and it’s about her granddaughter Makenzie.  She’s only 19 years old (her birthday was yesterday).  And she was basically given a death sentence.  She has 2-3 months to live unless she can get a double lung transplant due to complications from Cystic Fibrosis.  The transplant can cost $500,000 and they have to pay for it up front. They need our help and I am going to do everything I can to help them. 

I am not sure what you know about Cystic Fibrosis because I didn’t know much until my godson Jacob was born.  He was diagnosed before he was a day old…the first bit of research I did provided devastating news, “Life expectancy – 35 years.”  I remember looking at him in the nursery and trying to fathom what I could to change that statistic.  

Jacob has been doing really well with his disease (he’s 5 rambunctious years old), but Makenzie isn’t so lucky at this point.   I am sure that it was hard for her grandma to send that email asking for help.  If you know any “Hoosiers,” we’re a proud bunch that doesn’t like to ask for help.  BUT when the life of someone you love is on the line, you don’t have any other choice. 

So I am asking you, even though times are tough, it’s the holidays, and money is tight…to give what you can to help Makenzie.  It might take a miracle, but I think when we pull together…ANYTHING is possible.  

I have the information for one of the banks managing the fund.  If you would like to help Makenzie, you can make a donation via her website using paypal http://makenziesmarines.com/donate.html OR you can send your donation to Main Source Bank c/o Diana Miller 102 Underwood Drive, PO Box 128 Westport, IN 47283 – be sure to include FBO Makenzie Diekhoff (FBO = for the benefit of)

Thanks as always for reading…please help her, her family and friends as they try to save her life.

—–Forwarded Message—– From: Jerry Diekhoff Sent: Nov 30, 2010 11:02 PM

Subject: Please read about our grand daughter, Makenzie who has Cystic Fibrosis Many of you are family, many are good friends, I’m writing to let you know about our grand daughter, Makenzie Ray Diekhoff, she is a victim of Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease which she was born with. She will be nineteen on December 2, 2010, and has struggled to breathe most of her life because of her disease. She was told almost 3 weeks ago that she is antibiotic immune and there was nothing more the doctors could do for her. She is fighting pneumonia in both her lungs, it is a type of bacterial pneumonia CF’s get in their lungs. She was in the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital when she was given this news, her only hope now is to have a double lung transplants. They told her if the pneumonia continues to worsen in her lungs she could have as little as 2-3 months to live. The news was devastating to her, our son, Rob and wife, Teresa, her sisters, Kassie and Delanie and brother, Cody along with us grandparents and other family members. Today they received more devastating news that her state insurance would not pay for the transplant out of state and the cost is approximately five hundred thousand dollars this would include the transplant and initial rejection medications. She has a real chance for the transplants if her name is on several state transplant lists. As of today many people have become involved to get benefits going for Makenzie if you think you could help us out in any way we would ever be so grateful. Maybe you know someone that has contacts for helping people like Makenzie to help with the cost, our time for coming up with the money is short when you put it into days (60-90). The money has to be up front before the transplant can take place. This is hard for me to put this need into words as for us it is so heartbreaking. She told the doctors she no longer wanted to stay in the hospital she wanted to be home with family members, she is at home at this time, this is where she will remain as she said she is not going back to the hospital to die. No nineteen year old should have to make such a decision when there is hope for her to live many more years with the transplant. Accounts have been set up at the Main Source Banks in Indiana and the Napoleon State Bank in Greensburg, IN and Napoleon IN. If you would like to make a contribution to her cause it can be made to these banks. Again if you know of anyone that does benefit affairs your help and knowledge is so needed at this time. Most of all we ask for your prayers, we know they can move mountains and miracles do happen, we believe. Thank you in advance, Jerry and Bernard Diekhoff

P.S. our address is 11735 N County Rd 600 E, Westport IN 47283

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