My name is Jeremy Weyandt and I was born on January 18, 1977 with Cystic Fibrosis.  I was diagnosed with this disease at seven months old. Every day of my life I did breathing treatments, took lots of medications, exercised, and used a pulmonary vest to stay healthy. 

Until recently, I stayed very healthy despite my chronic disease. I have always tried to stay positive and live every day to the fullest. I held a full-time job from the time I was eighteen years old up until my hospitalization this past August when my health took a downward spiral.  

I met my wife, Joy, in August of 2000 and we were married on July 31, 2004.  Five years later, we welcomed our beautiful son, Gavin, into the world.  The day I first held my son and my wedding day are the happiest days of my life.  And, I received a second chance to celebrate those days when I  received a life-saving double lung transplant on September 27, 2012 at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh.  I am so grateful and look forward to recovering soon so I can return home to my loving wife and son.  

With the cost of a transplant often exceeding $500,000, many transplant patients are unable to shoulder the financial burden of such a procedure. An estimated $100,000 is being raised by Altoona volunteers to assist with transplant-related expenses like those Jeremy and his family face in his continued life-saving journey. The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) is a national charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for patients in need of transplants. All donations are fully tax deductible and are administered by COTA. There are no administrative costs and 100% of all money raised goes directly to transplant-related expenses.