Fundraising Update....

Ahhhh... to be able to skate again... or run or
hike.... or do all the things a normal, healthy
person takes for granted!!!

Below is the first letter that I sent out to many of my loyal contributors of the annual CF Great Strides campaign.  Sure enough... as we found out with our first trip to Houston, there are many out of pocket "incidental costs" at the medical center  as well as high fees to pay with convenient hotels, parking and rentals. My caretaker and I will have to  relocate to Houston as well as set up and sustain another whole household for possibly up to a year or longer prior to and after the operation

I was floored to receive an outpouring of love and a huge response from friends and family who want to contribute and was so overwhelmed with the depth of love I felt from all of you!

My cousin Caroline is still researching the best Fundraising avenue to secure ONLINE and it will take a little time to gather info and set up account.  We also got professional feedback from a tax consultant/accountant and she said for endeavors such as this one, it is most beneficial, for the recipient, to just  have donors send the a personal check... as a gift. Therefore, not letting any third party collect unnecessary "processing" fees, etc.  Monies received as a gift are not taxed, either.

Until the online fundraiser site is set up, which will enable many more folks to donate...globally, if anyone wants to just send donations directly to my home, that would be awesome!  My address is:

Trish Taylor, 17005 Brewer Blackbird Drive, Pflugerville, Texas 78660.   I appreciate every dollar that you can spare, but please do not give more than you feel comfortable donating. I have lots of friends who want to give small amounts... SO, many, many friends giving small amounts... become a massive goal achieved!

If you wish, you can contribute once or ongoing.. whichever is better for yoU!   Each year, when I ask to give to CFF those monies are tax deductible. Unfortunately, donating money to me directly or through this fundraiser your funds cannot be deducted for tax purposes since it is a personal endeavor.  Please make your check payable to Trish Taylor and it will be deposited into a special LUNG FUND account to be used only for this endeavor.

THANK you from the bottom of my heart!  If you can share this with any kind soul who may want to help a "new" friend get a new lease on life, please pass this blog and fundraiser along.

There is a very slight chance that I may get turned down due to not meeting criteria in the upcoming evaluation, but I am keeping on the positive side. But, if that is the case and I receive your donations before that occurs, I would like your consent ahead of time to use that money to help with research toward Cystic Fibrosis and turn those monies into my local CF chapter. 

X   I understand that if the monies I am donating do not go to "Operation Deep Breathe" to get Trish SHINY, NEW lungs... then I approve of her donating my donation to the Austin CFF.

                                          OTHER FUNDRAISER IDEAS?

In addition to this sort of fundraiser, many of our friends have
also asked if they could donate their time, items and
Musical talent for OTHER fundraisers.. such as a concert or an
Art/Calligraphy/Handmade Silent Auction!
If anyone has other ideas and/or is willing to take this endeavor on,
please contact me or Caroline about it!
Thanks!

                    From the bottom of my humble heart...
  I thank you and am so moved by your love and generosity!



LETTER I previously emailed...

Hi there,

           Perhaps you have received flyers in the mail from the CFF recently asking you to donate again since you have donated to my Great Strides CF campaign.  Each year, I’ve asked my friends and family to donate to CFF to help find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. You all have been tremendously supportive, for which I am so grateful. However, THIS year, my fundraising campaign will be very personal.

            Cystic fibrosis, the genetic lung disease I’ve been fighting my entire life, is the sort of thing that gets worse and worse every year. If you know me at all, you know that I’m a pretty private person when it comes to the care and treatment of my disease, and it is sometimes hard for me to share the details of this battle, and extremely hard to ask for help of any kind. But I will turn 49 in May, and it has become very clear to me and to my doctors that my health is deteriorating rapidly. After much thought and prayer, I have decided to pursue a double lung transplant, with the hope that it will enable me to stick around on this planet at least a little while longer.

            My cousin, Caroline, is moving to Texas from Hawaii to help me get through this whole adventure and, of course, my husband Kevin.. will be my rock…by my side through it all. I hope it will be okay with you if Caroline keeps you updated on what’s happening with me possibly through email or simply a blog. She will also launch a fundraising campaign to help out with the expenses we will have to cover out of pocket, and she’ll let you know about that, too. My other family members and close friends will be helping out in some capacity as well. Caroline is like a sister to me, as we grew up together like siblings, and she is only 6 months older than me.

            In 2010 the average cost for a double lung transplant and the first year’s expenses was $800,000. Luckily, I am not even hoping to raise that much…. Luckily, Kevin and I have health insurance, but the cost of our premiums alone is $12,000 annually. Our out-of-pocket costs for the transplant will be huge. Caroline and I may have to live in Houston while I am waiting for my new lungs, and I will definitely have to be there for some time afterwards, which means we may need to maintain two households for several months.

            Right now, the process is just beginning so it’s all very up in the air still, with many unknowns and “what-ifs” that need to be identified and anticipated. But I am hoping, when the time comes when I ask, that you will consider diverting or sharing your generous donations which you normally give to the CFF to the “Trish LUNGS Fund” (OPERATION DEEP BREATHE) this year.  It is very humbling and disheartening for me to ask for anything… and especially for funds in this manner.. Thank you, each and every one of you, for supporting me as I embark on this miraculous, terrifying, extraordinary, LIFE-PROLONGING adventure! With your help, I will be able to breathe deeply. I cannot wait to feel that again! I was very young, and I barely remember, the last time I really could breathe that freely and easily.

          I just wanted to let you know what was going on and to consider asking for a little different help this year than I normally do when it comes time to start my campaign of fundraising.  Thank you for your love and consideration of this endeavor I am choosing … which really is quite a miracle.

Stay tuned for more info and if you would like to “opt out” of any further emails… just let me know.

Love, as always… and thanks for your prayers,

XO
Trish

 trishkev@sbcglobal.net

P.S. If you want to contact Caroline during this process with questions, suggestions, support, anything… her email address is aerocline@gmail.com. Please put TRISH in the subject line!  Or, you can write to me for right now, as well! I relish the emails, love and support. 

Peace...for sure!