A Second Chance at Life: A 22-Year Fight for Survival

A Second Chance at Life A 22-Year Fight for Survival:

My name is Brandi, and my fight began 22 years ago, at just 28 years old, when I was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma of the breast. I underwent chemotherapy, radiation, a lumpectomy, and a lymphadenectomy.

Though I survived, the treatments left me with permanent damage, lung fibrosis… which remained undetected until 2021. In 2021, I contracted Flu Type A and went into respiratory failure, requiring 17 days on a ventilator. Only then did doctors discover that my lung function had plummeted to 64%. The battle intensified in April 2022, when I was diagnosed with HER2-positive Stage 3 breast cancer.

It had spread to my lymphatic system. I began chemotherapy and, four months later, underwent a double mastectomy. Despite ongoing weekly chemotherapy, my lung function has deteriorated further, now down to 26%. In January 2024, I began the long process of preparing for a double lung transplant through the University Hospital Heart & Lung Transplant Clinic in Dallas, Texas.

But the costs are overwhelming. Every step of this journey… doctor visits, parking, medications, oxygen supplies… requires resources we simply don’t have. The weight of this financial burden is crushing, and it grows heavier as we prepare for the transplant. I am fighting for my life, but I need your help. Whether it’s a donation, a prayer, or simply sharing my story, you are giving me hope in the face of unimaginable challenges. Thank you for standing with me.

Your support means everything. In October 2023, I was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Melanoma on my back. On November 10, 2023, I underwent surgery to remove both. While the surgery was successful, the diagnosis meant I was no longer eligible for a lung transplant and was removed from the waiting list, a devastating blow. To monitor my progress, I now endure PET scans every 90 days for a full year. Only if these scans remain clear of cancer will I be allowed to restart the grueling transplant evaluation process. In the meantime, a new treatment plan has emerged: Zephyr Valve Placement in both lungs.

This procedure could temporarily improve my lung function, giving me a critical lifeline. However, the path to this treatment is fraught with risk. I’ve undergone extensive testing to ensure I’m a viable candidate. If I’m found to have a congenital defect in my left lung, a defect harmless under normal circumstances but catastrophic in mine, I will be disqualified. The defect could lead to a collapsed lung or even death during surgery. If cleared, I will undergo surgery to place the valves. If not, I’ll face an uncertain future, one where survival feels increasingly out of reach. Adding to these challenges is the financial toll. I desperately need a new Inogen Portable Oxygen Tank, as my refurbished unit frequently breaks down.

Between copays, travel expenses, hotel stays, medications, and weekly doctor appointments, the strain on my family has become unbearable. My husband is our sole provider, supporting a family of five on a single income. We cannot do this alone. Your donations, prayers, and messages of hope keep us afloat in this storm. July 23, 2023 Written by Brandi Garza Words can hardly express the depth of my gratitude for the overwhelming generosity that so many of you have shown through your donations and prayers. Each contribution, no matter how small, brings me one step closer to overcoming the monumental financial burden of a lung transplant… a life-saving procedure that carries with it an astronomical cost.

As you can imagine, for transplant recipients, this financial challenge is one that can feel insurmountable, often leaving us feeling helpless in a battle already defined by uncertainty and fear. This is where your kindness becomes not just an act of charity, but a beacon of hope that fuels my will to keep going. I am reaching out to my friends, my family, and to compassionate souls like you, those who believe in the profound strength of community, to help shoulder the weight of this journey.

Your belief in the power of compassion is more than a source of support, it is a lifeline that sustains me through the darkest hours. What Your Donation Means: Every penny you donate goes beyond covering expenses; it is a bridge to my future, a future that I fear I might lose without your help. The funds raised will provide for critical post-operative care, countless trips to and from Dallas, Texas for necessary treatments, medications, and follow-up appointments that are essential to my recovery. These costs add up quickly, and the weight of them is felt deeply in my daily life. But beyond the financial assistance, your donation offers me something even more invaluable: a second chance at life.

A chance to be there for my children, my grandchildren, to hold them close as I once did. A chance to experience the simple, yet profound joys I have long been deprived of the ability to play with my children, to walk freely through a store without the burden of struggling for breath, to return to work and feel some semblance of normalcy again. These things, these moments of everyday living, are the precious gifts that illness has stolen from me, and it is those gifts that your generosity can help restore. The Heart of the Struggle: I know many are facing their own financial struggles right now, and I am acutely aware that asking for help is not easy.

Yet, it is in this collective spirit of human kindness and community support that I find my strength. Your donation, no matter how large or small, is not just a financial gift; it is a profound affirmation of faith in humanity. It reminds me that in the face of hardship, there is still goodness in the world, still a willingness to stand beside one another. From the depths of my heart, I thank you. Your support means more than words can convey.

And as I conclude, I leave you with this prayer of gratitude: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Thank you for being part of my journey. Your kindness and support are the greatest gifts I could ever receive.

September 22, 2024 Update: My next surgery is scheduled for September 27, 2024 A critical milestone in my fight for survival. This procedure marks the second stage of my Zephyr Valve placement, a treatment designed to improve my lung function and buy me precious time as I navigate the complexities of my medical journey. The costs associated with this fight are staggering. Copays, travel, hotel stays, parking fees, meals, it all adds up. Every donation, every prayer, and every kind word fuels my will to keep going. Your generosity helps lift some of the burden, and I am profoundly grateful for your continued support.

October 15, 2024 It is with a heavy heart that I share the latest chapter in my medical journey, a story that continues to test every ounce of my strength. As of today, I have been diagnosed with Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)/Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), a devastating complication stemming from years of chemotherapy, radiation, and the persistent oxygen deprivation caused by my advanced lung disease.

Understanding PVD/PAD: Peripheral Artery Disease is more than just a medical term… it’s a silent predator that targets the very lifeline of the body: its blood vessels. For me, it’s not just an abstract diagnosis; it’s an insidious condition that has begun to attack the arteries supplying my legs and feet. The narrowing of these vessels has drastically reduced blood flow, leaving my legs deprived of the oxygen and nutrients they so desperately need.

This isn’t just about limited mobility or discomfort… it’s about survival. Nerve damage and tissue injury are already setting in, and the reduced circulation has placed an enormous strain on my already fragile heart and lungs. High blood pressure, another consequence of PAD, compounds the stress on my body, forcing every breath, every heartbeat, to work harder than ever before.