30-year-old S’porean woman with lung condition seeks donations to fund treatment overseas

Singaporean woman with lung condition seeks donations to fund oversaes treatment

Amanda was given 10 years to live when she was diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) — a lung condition — back in 2017.

Now 30 years old, she has exhausted treatment options in Singapore and is looking to undergo a heart and lung transplant overseas.

While a transplant centre in the USA is still assessing her suitability for the procedure, one of her friends has set up a fundraiser to appeal for donations.

Woman has condition that leads to high blood pressure in lungs

The fundraiser states that Amanda inherited the disease from her father. Her older sister also suffered from the condition and passed away as a result of the disease.

According to the Gleneagles Hospital, PPH is a rare disorder characterised by high blood pressure in the lungs. The condition forces the heart to work harder and may lead to heart failure.

In the seven years since her diagnosis, Amanda has been on multiple trial drugs. While most showed early promise, the drugs reportedly became ineffective in the later stages and led to too many side effects.

Having exhausted all the trial drugs, Amanda’s final option was to undergo a heart and lung transplant.

However, doctors at SGH found the 30-year-old unsuitable for the procedure after performing tests on her.

Seeking treatment in the US

As a “last-ditch effort”, Amanda and her husband reached out to overseas transport centres to seek help.

Her case was finally accepted by the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) in the United States. The university has arranged an appointment in July to assess Amanda’s suitability.

However, seeking treatment at the American facility is expected to be a “costly” affair.

It’s stated in the fundraiser that Amanda is wheelchair-bound and on “constant oxygen support”.

To accommodate her oxygen tank and the requirement to be on a reclined seat, Amanda has to fly business class and even has to book three additional seats.

In addition, the fundraiser states that the transplant procedure requires S$3 million to be paid upfront.

While waiting for a donor, which may take three to six months, Amanda plans on taking Sotartecept, which apparently costs about S$19,000 per jab every three weeks.

More than S$200,000 raised

At the time of this article, the fundraiser has raised nearly S$210,000 in proceeds.

However, there’s still a long way from the target, which is set at S$3.15 million.

Those who wish to contribute to Amanda’s treatment can do so via the fundraiser here.

Also read: Premature Twins In S’pore Born With Heart Defects, Mother Seeks Donations To Fund Medical Bills

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Featured image adapted from Give.Asia.