'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
The simple task of walking from one room to another causes New Brunswick woman Yvette Taylor to run out of breath and stops her in her tracks.
Everyday household chores that shouldn’t be too difficult for a woman her age are a struggle.
Taylor lives with sarcoidosis, a disease that limits her lung capacity and keeps her on an oxygen tank 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“And unfortunately I’ve got it in my lungs and I’ve had it for almost 48 years and my time is running out so I need a double lung transplant,” said Taylor.
She’s been approved for surgery in Toronto, but the process can’t start until her family finds affordable accommodations and a caregiver to nurse her back to health.
Her recovery in Ontario could take up to two years.
“I’m not crazy about that, but I have the will to live and I will do whatever it takes,” said Taylor.
Her daughter Julie Laforge has started a GoFundMe fundraiser to get her situated in Toronto and to pay for a caregiver, both huge costs.
NB Lung, the province’s lung association, can cover some expenses, but Laforge said it’s not nearly enough.
“Without this, we risk losing her at an early age. She’s got so much life to live. She’s 68 years old this month and I’ve only ever known my mom to be in and out of hospital my entire life,” said Laforge.
“Watching her suffer on a breathing tank and watching her put medications in her body and not be able to help her, it’s hard on the heart. It’s hard on the head.”
NB Lung has already helped by funding a trip to Toronto last fall to get her tests and assessments done, a great relief for the family.
Moving forward, they know there are programs to help them but they just scratch the surface of what they really need.
“It would be lovely to see her thrive in her 60s and 70s like most people do,” said Laforge.
Carole Ritchie, her friend of 15 years, said Taylor is the sweetest person and she wants to see her live a long life.
“She’d do anything for anybody else and if anybody deserves this chance, she does,” said Ritchie. “She’s got a window and it’s not a long window so she just has to get up there and get it done. She never complains, but yet she’s out of breath.”
Yvette Taylor (right) sits on a couch in her Riverview, N.B., home with her friend Carol Ritchie (left) and daughter Julie Laforge (centre).
Taylor’s health has deteriorated since her husband Vernon died of cancer a year-and-a-half ago.
She took care of her husband of 32 years right up until his death.
She admits living on her own is tough, but social workers do come to her home in Riverview, N.B., a few times a week and her family and friends provide her with a strong support system.
“That helps me a lot. Just to know that I have friends and my children are out there rooting for me. That means a lot. It just lifts my spirits up. Otherwise, I would be crying all the time,” said Taylor.
Taylor hasn’t ruled out going back to work someday saying she would do it in a heart beat.
More than anything, she wants to see her grandchildren grow up.
For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Robert Pickton to remain in medically induced coma until later this week: police
Serial killer Robert Pickton will remain in a medically induced coma for at least the next few days following an attack in a Quebec prison Sunday, according to police spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.
Poverty report cards: Which provinces got the worst grades?
Poverty and food insecurity have worsened in most of Canada in the past year and most provincial governments aren't doing enough to address the problem, according to a just-released series of report cards.
'I feel betrayed': Ottawa-area customers out thousands of dollars warn of bad faith contractor
A group of people from eastern Ontario and western Quebec is issuing a warning about Dennis Walker and his company Vue Windows.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Sheldon Keefe hired as head coach of New Jersey Devils
Sheldon Keefe has been hired as the head coach of the New Jersey Devils.
Tick season, warmer weather sparks fears about Lyme disease spread in Canada
The surge in Canada's tick population is linked to recent changes in our climate, according to Mount Allison University biology professor Vett Lloyd.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.
Toronto man who stabbed, decapitated mother in 2022 found guilty of 2nd-degree murder
Dallas Ly has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his mother, whom he stabbed during a dispute in 2022 before decapitating and dumping her remains on the side of the road in east Toronto.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.