Blackville woman awaits double-lung transplant

After two months of fundraising, the Blackville community has almost reached its goal to support a local woman’s lung transplant journey.

Amy Vickers has suffered from cystic fibrosis since birth and doctors have recommended a double-lung transplant since her own lungs are failing.

CF is a hereditary disease characterized by abnormal mucus production affecting the lungs, pancreas and gastrointestinal tract.

Vickers’ best friend, Denise Kelly, began organizing the Lungs for Amy fundraiser to help Vickers with the costly expenses of the transplant.

Vickers and her husband Kendall have to live in Toronto, where the transplant will take place. Vickers left on Friday and is undergoing three days of testing for the operation.

Vickers’ name will be added to the transplant list June 1 and she will be on 24-hour call with a cellphone and pager in case a donor is found.

She also has to stay in Toronto for three to four months after the surgery to ensure it is successful and that her body doesn’t reject the new organs.

To date, the fundraiser is only $2,000 shy of the goal of $35,000, which is going towards Vickers’ medical and living expenses.

When she was interviewed in March, Vickers said she never set goals for herself because of her disease. However, she was confident the surgery will work and that she will be a helpful example to others with CF.

“I was given this chance so I’m definitely going to take it,” Vickers said.

This weekend wraps up the fundraiser with events taking place tomorrow and Saturday at the Renous Rec Centre including a softball tournament and antique car show.

A canteen, barbeque, children’s games and silent auction are also planned. Some of the items on the auction block are a generator and a weekend in P.E.I.

Vicker’s 27th birthday is June 5 and Kelly said the best present her friend could get would be to find a donor soon.