Waiting to inhale

 Today's to-do list:

1.  Do some research to see why the dog is pooping in the house all of a sudden.

2.  Check to see if the swimming pool has sprung a slow leak.

3.  Save Betty's life.

Let's begin with No. 3, shall we?  The pool and dog poop can wait (but not for long!)

Of course I can't save Betty Coleman's life alone.  I need your help, and so does Betty, the wife of my good friend Charles Coleman.

It's a beautiful day in San Antonio and, hopefully, where you are.  The sun is out, the sky is bright blue and birds are soaring in the sky.

Makes you just want to take a deep breath and take it all in, doesn't it.

Betty can't do that.  She barely has 15 percent lung capacity and requires oxygen 24/7 just to make it through to another day.

The good news is that after months of exhaustive medical procedures, appointments and a brush with near-death, Betty is on the list for a lung transplant.

Now the bad news, as if what you just read above is not enough.  It appears that in today's tangled mess of medical care and, seemingly, care not, lung transplants and I'm sure plenty of other life-saving medical procedures, you better be wealthy or very well situated financially if you happen to get really sick.

Betty and others in her situation are informed along the arduous path to having a second chance at taking a deep breath with transplanted lungs that funds must be in place to cover anti-rejection medications and other expenses.  We're talking multiples of tens of thousands of dollars.

I've known Betty's husband Charlie, who's struggling with medical issues of his own, for 40 years and change and Betty for many years.  I have never heard either one of these proud, hard-working people ask for anything.  Now there is no choice but to reach out to family, friends and, yes, even strangers.

They are not the only ones with this kind of need, of course.  Others desperately need help as well.

But today, let's help Betty.  I saw her curled up in a fetal-position ball in a hospital bed six months or so ago.  Hospice care followed and the family gathered.  But Betty proved she has some more living to do.  She's up and around, in rehab and ready to get on with her life once she's not on a plastic leash attached to an oxygen tank. 

Here's an idea:  If we all passed on the outrageously priced coffee drinks ("A grande Toasted Marshmallow Latte, please.") for just a little while and sent that $20, $30, $50 or $100 to Betty's GoFundMe account, we could all breathe a little easier knowing that we helped save Betty's life.

Here's the link again:

https://www.gofundme.com/gzqq967c