21 October 2023 , 06:00
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A woman has contracted a horrific disease after mould in her apartment grew out of control - and is now appealing for your help.
Dr Shanda Johnson began going through abnormal and prolonged breathing complications to her previously-manageable asthma in 2019. After referral to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey in June 2019 for treatment by the advanced pulmonary care team she was diagnosed with Chronic Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (CHP) - which came as a result of exposure to the mould in her apartment.
With a life expectancy of just seven years - if the disease is identified and treated immediately with immune suppressor/steroid therapy - Shanda is now urgently seeking a transplant of her diseased lung. Shanda’s disease has progressed, and after a recent severe asthma attack, she has made her way to the top of the list. Without a transplant, Shanda will certainly die.
Shanda is a nurse practitioner, professor, and mother, and according to her GoFundMe page she “opens her wallet for any and every one when she can”. A single mother to a college student and professor at New Jersey University, Shanda’s family have decided it is her turn to be cared for, with her twin brother, Shawn, retiring from the police department to be her full-time caregiver.
Shanda needs a lung transplant to live (GoFundMe)She continues to fulfil her work for the university virtually throughout her hospital stays - and is now permanently in hospital due to the deterioration in her condition and the need for a high oxygen flow. Awaiting a transplant, a GoFundMe was set up to help Shanda afford the major surgery which she requires. A match for Shanda’s lung is not guaranteed, but her supporters are remaining hopeful. Until she receives a transplant, she requires a high oxygen flow.
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
Shanda’s GoFundMe page reads: “For those close to Shanda, they know that she opens her wallet for any and every one when she can. Now, it’s time for us to pay it forward. The financial demands of this transplant are monumental.
“While Shanda is pushing through to work now, the time will come when she must step aside to prioritise her health. That decision will impact her insurance coverage and support of her post-transplant medications. Additionally, she must continue to supplement her son’s tuition in an effort to keep his life and routine as normal as possible.
“Lastly, this unexpected hospital stay, and abrupt relocation has also presented a financial challenge. Dr. Shanda Johnson has given so much of herself in a purpose-driven life. Please help ensure that she stays with us all longer!”
You can donate to Shanda’s GoFundMe here.