The Annual LTSO Autumn Get Together is Back!

WHEN – Saturday November 5th, 2022 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

The LTSO is having a get together where you can meet and interact with other Lung Transplant Patients, friends and their caregivers.  Exchange information, ask questions and in general, have a great time.

The park is loaded with things to do and there is plenty of space to talk and interact.   So if you already have your transplant, are waiting to be transplanted, or are being evaluated for transplant, come on join us. 

We will be there from 11 to 4 so drop by all day (remember the sun block) or drop in for 10 minutes, just stop by and enjoy yourself.

The activity is outdoors under shade and there should be lots of room for distancing if needed.  The food and drink is on us and we hope to see you there.

In Memorium: Norm Lydiard

Our dear friend, Norm, lost his battle to cancer on 3-28-2020. Norm wasn’t a saint and he wasn’t a superhero, at least not in the traditional sense. But he could have been. All he needed was a secret identity and a cape. You see, Norm did more good for more people, than you could imagine. And he never asked for anything in return.

Norm was born January 1, 1953, lived and grew up here locally in the Scottsdale / Phoenix area. He went to Scottsdale High, lived near Bill Thompson of Wallace and Ladmo fame, was a good friend of Danny Harkins of Harkins Theatres, and he knew Alice Cooper. He played golf at a professional level and although he never won a major tournament, he always said he loved playing.  We didn’t know Norm during those days; but from talking to some of his friends, we would have liked to have had him as one of our friends.

Read More and Leave a Comment…

Message from the President

Welcome to GOTMASK.org, the website for the Lung Transplant Support Organization or LTSO. The LTSO was founded in 2007 by a group of lung transplant patients and their caregivers. Most of these patients had received their transplants at the St. Joseph’s Heart and Lung Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. The institute is now the St. Joseph’s Norton Thoracic Institute and the hospital is Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center.  Although the LTSO is not directly affiliated with Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, we do help primarily transplant patients who have their surgery there.  

Our Board is comprised of lung transplant recipients and caregivers.  The motto and founding principle of the LTSO is “Patients Helping Patients”. The founding members wanted to pay it forward to those undertaking the lung transplant journey.    

The LTSO is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit charity.  Thus, all gifts and donations received by the charity are tax deductible. If you would like to donate, you can do so through this website. We will be very grateful!  Donations help offset some of the expenses that patients incur that are not covered by their insurance plans. Some of these expenses may include prescription costs, specialty medical devices, transportation expenses, lodging expense during the evaluation process and after their surgery, and other expenses.  Here you will find information regarding the Lung Transplant Quarters where many of the patients stay before and after their surgery.  This is our hospitality house that offers patients and their care givers inexpensive rates and very clean and comfortable fully furnished accommodations.

Our primary fund-raising event is our Breath of Hope Charity Golf Tournament.  It takes place in May of each year.  Information is provided on this website in the “Events” section. Please help us by playing, joining us for lunch, or by sponsoring a hole.  There are also opportunities to be a tournament sponsor.  You can find a list of our sponsors on the website. I hope that you will participate!  It is a great event!  We also sponsor a free Fall Get Together in November for patients, caregivers, doctors, nurses, friends and families. It is a great time to share stories, meet new people, and become a member of the larger lung transplant family.  Details are also included in the Events section.

If you, a loved one, or someone you know, is considering a lung transplant, please feel free to contact us through this website or at 1-855-GOTMASK.  We will answer your questions and help in any way that we can. You can also meet us at the St. Joseph’s lung transplant support group meetings on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. We all hope to have an opportunity to meet you very soon.

All the best to you and your family,

Dave Wick
President
Lung Transplant Support Organization