Cobble Hill resident Tami Walker is inching closer to getting a lifesaving double lung transplant operation.
But, she's not there yet, friend Peggy Hunt said.
"She is over in Vancouver. She's meeting with the transplant team this morning [Tuesday]. They were thinking of keeping her in but she's talked them into letting her come home for the weekend and go back on Monday. This is only for testing. "
At this point, we still don't know for sure if she's bringing home the pager but we think that's the plan," Hunt said.
The pager is a key part of Walker's hope for recovery from pulmonary hypertension. It means that the hospital in Vancouver can contact her when appropriate lungs become available.
"Then we'd have to wait for the lungs," Hunt said.
Everything has been hinging on whether or not Walker and her husband, Norm, can raise $25,000 for him to stay in Vancouver and help her with aftercare once she has new lungs. The problem was that the Walkers didn't have that money.
Friends and other supporters are stepping in, trying to help by fundraising.
"We've guaranteed the money for them, the fundraising team has. That way she's on the list. The fundraising is going pretty well so far. And they've agreed to that," Hunt said.
The Walkers' trip to Vancouver this past weekend was covered by some of the funds already raised, Hunt said.
"At this point we're still busy fundraising and waiting to hear from Tami on whether she comes back with the pager or not but we're hopeful," she said.