Waiting to breathe
Alex Heisel, 25, a cystic fibrosis patient, is on the Stanford Medical Center transplant list to receive a new set of lungs. She and her family are working to raise $500,000 to cover the expenses of the procedure as well as lodging, airfare and other accompanying costs. Courtesy photo
Some 25-year-olds are dreaming of weddings, babies or finally getting that master's degree.
Alex Heisel is dreaming of a new set of lungs.
"I have my good days and my bad days," Heisel said Thursday. "We have a long ways to go."
Heisel, of Post Falls, was born with cystic fibrosis, an inherited disorder that causes mucus and fluids to thicken and wreak havoc on ducts and passageways in the lungs and pancreas.
Every three months Heisel goes to the hospital for a two-week "clean out" stay that allows her to recharge and recover. Her daily routine includes 20 different vitamins and antibiotics, nebulizer treatments and chest therapy so she can breathe.
In 2015, fluid built up and created a hole in her right lung.
"Every day is different every time I wake up," she said. "I have the lungs of an 85-year-old."
Heisel has been accepted to the Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif., and is now on the lung transplant waiting list. Any day she could get the call that her new lungs have arrived.
She and her mom travel to Stanford every two months for pre-transplant appointments. These trips are at least $2,000 each time. Combined with meds, food, lodging and eventually the transplant, Heisel and her family have a daunting task ahead. They're working to raise $500,000 to pay for these expenses and whatever insurance won't cover.
Despite her condition, Heisel works part time as a receptionist at Carlson Insurance Agency in Dalton Gardens.
"She's got a lot of support from her coworkers," office manager Shannon Dollar said. "For everything she goes through, she still has a really peppy attitude and is always happy."
Info: alexheisel@hotmail.com