It is with great hope that we present this to the good people of the surrounding area in hopes that we can raise funds for the family of Brenda Burford. Many people know her in the community and have been the recipient of her kind and giving heart.
Brenda was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis 20 years ago and has bravely battled this disease since. Her condition has declined over the years due to age and the effect that the disease has had on her body. Recently, while at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, AZ for testing, her condition worsened and she was rushed to ER. She has been in ICU since May 5th and was in need of an immediate double lung transplant surgery which she received on May 22, 2017.
Any help you can give this family will help in the long road to recovery that is ahead. Her doctors are projecting that Brenda will need at least 6 months of healing and rehabilitation that will have to take place there in Arizona before she will be able to return home. This is our chance to give back to a woman that has helped so many in the area. We want to help her and her family with the financial burden of relocation expenses that this surgery will bring them.
Before her surgery, Brenda has battled Sarcoidosis for 20 years, and for the past 3 years she has been on oxygen and hospitalized several times for extended periods of time. Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomas, tiny clumps of inflammatory cells, in one or more organs of the body. When the immune system goes into overdrive and too many of these clumps form, they can interfere with an organ’s structure and function. This disorder can affect almost any organ in the body, but most commonly targets the lungs and the lymph nodes, which are an important part of the immune system.
For those of you who would like to donate funds to help the family, you can drop off funds at two locations in Devine, A Bushel and a Peck or Morales Realty. All checks need to be made out to LaPortia Sandle-Ford, Brenda’s daughter, who will be helping with the personal accounts of her mother during the rehabilitation. A Go Fund Me account, titled “BREATH FOR BRENDA”, has also been set up for those of you who live out of town or would rather donate online.
By Candace DeJesus