The journey to wellness begins

By DEVIN WEEKS

Staff Writer

COEUR d’ALENE — Coeur d’Alene Bible Church was packed on Sunday as more than 250 friends and loved ones gathered to surround Jen McKenna with love and encouragement before she departs on a life-changing journey.

McKenna will leave North Idaho this Saturday with lungs ruined by a lifetime of cystic fibrosis (CF), a progressive disease that causes permanent damage and impacts the ability to breathe.

In five to eight months, she’ll return after undergoing a double lung transplant at the University of North Carolina Medical Center in Chapel Hill.

“I think I’m totally emotionally prepared,” McKenna said. “I just want to get there and I want to get it started and I want to get it done and I want to start appreciating a new life.”

During the send-off, Jen and her husband, Corey, received countless hugs and well-wishes from people they’ve known through church, Corey’s Ironman experiences, Jen’s time working as a volunteer coordinator at Union Gospel Mission and many other friends from throughout the community.

“She was a marvel to work with. She was a gem, all the time,” said Richard Fiordo, who was hired by and volunteered with Jen at UGM. “I just hope that everything is successful with her. She’s facing some challenges that I’m sure she will handle with dignity and grace. We’re rooting for her and we’re praying for her.”

Jen’s procedure will cost in the ballpark of $500,000, but most of it will be covered by insurance. However, that doesn’t include transportation and travel, lodging, food and more expenses that will come up as Jen, Corey, Jen’s mom Virginia Williams and other caregivers travel back and forth for follow-up appointments.

Jackie Maker, a consultant and good friend of the McKennas, has taken on the role of fundraising coordinator for Team McKenna as they work to raise $65,000 to cover these costs over the next two years. She said that as of Sunday, $5,000 had already been raised.

Maker also met Jen through UGM.

“I needed help in the volunteer department helping to hire new volunteers and train them up, and Jen has such an incredible gift of being very much attention to detail and administrative, but such a super power with her personality and being so personable and caring for people,” Maker said. “With that combination it was perfect on our team.”

The friends have worked on a lot of projects and have shared dreams of what they’ll work on together in the future, she said.

“We have a lot of life to live going forward together,” Maker said. "Jen is a lover of life."

Originally, Jen and her mom were going to leave today, but Jen’s stepfather died suddenly a few days ago, postponing the travel and giving the family yet another challenge to overcome.

“That was kind of like way unexpected, a major shock,” Corey said.

But Jen and Corey know God works in mysterious ways and that it’s all part of the plan.

“It doesn’t diminish the excitement and the nervousness and the journey of where we’re headed,” Corey said. “We’re looking forward to it.”

Team McKenna will be accepting donations through the Children’s Organ Transplant Association. Jen will be updating the public with blogs and photos at www.cotaforteammckenna.com as well as keeping in touch with The Press as she moves closer to transplant day and healing. A benefit for Jen will be held Feb. 28 at Fire Artisan Pizza, where $5 of every pizza sold that day will go to COTA for Team McKenna.

Jen said she felt lucky Sunday to be surrounded with so much love.

“I feel like this is God’s story and I get to be a major player in it and I get to watch Him move in people’s hearts because I have a need,” Jen said. “It is amazing. It’s humbling and I just go, ‘Wow.’ It can only be supernatural how people have come together so well and they’re so generous. I’ve never seen anything like it.”