All Wheel Poker Run in Honor of Local Transplant Patient
Erie, Pa., May 31, 2017 - Tim Robison is fighting for his life. In 2004, he was first diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and by 2008 he began having to use oxygen at night. His disease progressed from there, and now he is dependent on oxygen 24 hours a day. Doctors say a lung transplant is critical to his survival.
When Robison turned 50 years old, he believed that his life was going to be cut short by this disease, but then things started happening to give him hope. Robison was seen by the Cleveland Clinic transplant team, and for the first time in years he was able to look forward to the promise of a normal lifestyle again. Most importantly, his grandchildren started coming, and Robison has promised himself that he will live to see them get married.
The average lung transplant costs $800,000, and that's only the beginning. Even with health insurance, which will cover a portion of the transplant cost, he faces significant expenses related to the surgery. For the rest of his life, he will need follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications. Post-transplant medications are very expensive, and they're as critical to his survival as the transplant itself.
For fundraising support and guidance, Robison and his family turned to the National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) for assistance with some of these financial burdens. NFT is a nonprofit organization that helps patients raise funds to pay for transplant-related expenses through their community-based fundraising program.
"My heart goes out for Tim," said Claire Prince, NFT fundraising consultant. "Because I know he wants to be more active with his family. At NFT, we want to help him raise the funds he needs to afford his lifesaving treatment and care."
On June 3, 2017, "Tim Robison's Second Wind All Wheel Poker Run and Benefit" will be hosted by Harley-Davidson of Erie and the American Legion Post 742. The poker run costs $15 for players and includes the cost of the benefit. Registration begins at 10:00am, blessings start at 11:30am and motorists leave at 12:00pm from the Harley-Davidson of Erie, 3712 West 12th Street, Erie, PA 16505. The benefit alone costs $10 and will be held at the American Legion Post 742, 7605 Maple Street, Fairview, PA 16415. There will be food, beer and entertainment.
For more information, please contact Nadene Robison at (814) 440-9640 or nrobison68@gmail.com.
To make a tax-deductible donation in honor of Tim Robison, please send a contribution to the NFT Pennsylvania Transplant Fund, 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Please be sure to write "in honor of Tim Robison" on the memo line. Secure donations also can be made online at www.transplants.org. Donors should click on "Find an NFT Patient" to locate Robison.
About NFT
NFT is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization based in Memphis, Tenn. that has been helping transplant patients overcome financial obstacles since 1983. NFT provides fundraising expertise to transplant patients by organizing fundraising campaigns in the patients' own communities. NFT's fundraising campaigns have generated more than $77 million to assist patients. NFT assists more than 2,500 transplant candidates and recipients nationwide. For more information about NFT, please call 800-489-3863 or visit www.transplants.org.
