Attend Old Fashioned Family Picnic and "Help Deb Breathe Easier"

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On Sunday, July 7, Deb Davidson-Smith’s family and friends invite the community to attend an Old Fashion Family Picnic in New Madison, Ohio to raise money to assist in the costs incurred during her recovery from a lung transplant at Cleveland Clinic. The Old Fashioned Family Picnic will be held at Tri-Village School on Sunday, July 7 from noon-5pm. The benefit committee has many family friendly activities planned for the afternoon including: Car Cruise-In for LIFE sponsored by Hittle Buick GMC, food by New Madison Kiwanis Club, silent auction & raffle, 50/50 raffle, T-shirt sale, local “celebrity” bake-off, Sweet Things in Life bake sale, balloon launch sponsored by Lefeld Welding, and a team relay competition. A musical entertainment segment that features local talent and accomplished students will close the afternoon from 3pm-5pm. The benefit will also celebrate the life-saving power of organ donation.

Deb received her life saving lung transplant on June 2 at Cleveland Clinic. In November of 2011, Deb was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is an incurable scarring of the lungs that makes the lung tissue stiff. The only treatment is lung transplantation. After spending 10 days in the hospital in February of 2012, Deb began working with doctors at Cleveland Clinic to be put on the lung transplant list for either a single or double lung transplant. She was put on the list in August of 2012 and spent 10 months on the list before receiving a call just after 1am on June 2, 2013 that resulted in a successful transplant of a left lung that afternoon.

Deb had been recovering at a remarkable rate, but recently experienced a set-back and had to be re-admitted to Cleveland Clinic’s hospital for treatment for an infection and a small bout of acute rejection. She is currently being treated and expected to continue her recovery. Her family and friends would like to celebrate her remarkable journey, as well as raise money to help cover her medical bills, prescription costs and travel costs to & from the Cleveland Clinic. A savings account has been set-up at Farmers State Bank to accept donations for the benefit; contributions can be made at any Farmers State Bank location to the account “Benefit for Deborah Davidson-Smith.” For more information, or to contact a committee member, please visit: www.facebook.com/HelpingDebBreatheEasier.