Family and friends of Cathleen Byrd are raising money to pay for uninsured medical expenses associated with transplantation.
Cathleen has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for donors. Donors can be sure that funds donated will be used only to pay or reimburse medically-related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Donate Now button.
On 2/17/18 @ 7am Cathleen had her liver transplant! The surgery went very well and she is beginning her long road to recovery. She will experience bumps along this journey 1 currently is the functioning of her kidneys which is being treated with dialysis. We are still below our goal to help with costs for this very expensive surgery and lengthy stay nearly 100 miles from her home in Florence County.
This new year has not been off to a great start. Cathy has been unable to keep food or fluids down for a month straight. While making many trips to the local ER and her liver specialist for this issue none of the medications prescribed have offered a reprieve. This has of course made her extremely weak and our hearts heavy with concern.
Please remember any small donation will help her in her fight.
Cathleens health is steadily declining. She is now #5 on the transplant list. She still needs to raise over 3500 in donations. She has been in alot of pain due to retaining large amounts of fluid on her stomach and weakness due to loss of muscle mass. On average she must have 6 liters of fluid drained every two weeks. In addition she is also fighting a lung infections with great success. Though her body maybe weaker her spirit and love will not falter.
10 years ago, Cathy was in a motorcycle accident. The accident lead to the discovery of an internal nightmare. This nightmare called cirrhosis of the liver was a reoccurring one having plagued her own mother many years ago. Although life-saving, transplants are incredibly expensive. Today she asks for help from her family, friends, and cherished community.
Cathy grew up in Michigan but moved south to our beloved South Carolina at the impressionable age of 16. Here she has raised two daughters and has been blessed with 3 grandchildren. She continues to fight everyday so that she may continue to care for her granddaughter, Anna who will be turning 10 this winter.
Cathy was always busy at work on a new project that left her either covered in saw dust, paint or elbows deep in flowers. Although she is unable to start new projects now, due to her illness, she is counting the days until she can dive back into her creative cloud.
Transplants, while life-saving, can run an estimated average of $700,000. Cathy is looking at a lengthy hospital stay, labs, medications, and a six-month relocation to Charleston so that she may be closer to The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).