Benefit planned for Aurora woman who awaits double lung transplant
Angie Burson will never forget the day in June when she received a letter that will hopefully help her breathe a little easier, and ultimately change her life.
“There were a lot of tears,” she recalled. “I stood out on the front porch with the letter saying: ‘This is it. This is the letter. Right, Mom?”
Her mother, Gail Nelson, confirmed that yes, in fact, the letter Angie received on June 21st notified Angie that she had been approved for a double lung transplant. Her name is now on the national transplant waiting list as she waits for the phone call that could change her life.
“They said it could be two months, six months, or it could be a year because they have to have the right size lung, my blood type and my antibodies,” said the 1998 Aurora graduate. “Those three things are a priority.”
Angie’s health challenges began back in April of 2023, when she went to the doctor for what she thought was a routine heart check.
“The nurse checked my oxygen level, and he looked at me and said they were going to put me on two liters (per day) because my oxygen level was at 84 percent,” she said. “Then after the heart cath procedure they decided to check the pressure in my lungs and I failed that.”
So began a plethora of tests, as well as a daily routine of having an oxygen tank close by her side. Angie now receives several liters of oxygen per day, depending on her activity level, which helps maintain her energy, organ function and overall well-being.
“We went down to Omaha and had to spend a week there and every day there were multiple testings done,” she said.
All of those tests were part of a required screening procedure to confirm that Angie had no other major health issues, and that she would be a strong candidate for a lung transplant. It was an anxious time, she said, waiting for results and planning the next test, and then ultimately waiting since September of last year for the letter which confirmed her spot on the transplant list.
“If it wasn’t for my parents …” she said, pausing to fight back the tears. “They’ve been my rock since we found out about all this, especially my mom.”
Faith has also been a source of strength through her journey.
“I have my good days and my bad days, but otherwise I’m doing okay,” she said. “I know it’s in God’s hands. I also believe that I have a very special angel that is with me all the time, and I feel her.”
Angie said she was very close to her grandmother, Gail’s late mother, Freda Hartzell, who died in 2017.
“I feel my Grandma Freda all the time,” she said. “We are also extremely gratful for this community -- the emotional and physical support. There is no place I would rather be.”
Benefit planned
Since learning that Angie is on the waiting list for a double lung transplant, friends of the family offered to help out with a benefit. “Angie’s Warriors” — a group which includes Becky Richter, Sue Obermeier, Juanita Regier, Susan Penner and Pam Hunnicutt — has organized a fundraiser scheduled for Aug. 8 at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. The evening will include a silent auction, meal and live music by BD & The Boys. (One of the band’s members, Gene Ulmer, is married to Gail’s cousin.)
Angie’s mother said the support she and the family have received has been both meaningful and powerful.
“For us as a family, it’s very difficult to ask for help,” Gail said. “We’ve always taken care of ourselves, but good friends came to us and asked about doing this and the response overall from everybody I come in contact with has been very positive, supportive, and overwhelming, honestly. I think Angie feels the same way, except that she’s not out among everybody, so we’re the ones that are getting the feedback, if you will. We try to keep them informed as to who has reached out, because the community has just been amazing.”
Angie’s husband, Joe, shared the same sentiment.
“You always hear about people having transplants or things like that, but you never really think much about it until your spouse makes the transplant list,” he said. “You never really think about what goes on or the process or the people who give the donations and things like that. When you are with that person every day, it’s a whole different story.
“And talk about community,” Joe continued. “I never in a million years would ever imagine the whole community coming together and helping us out. Like Gail said, we would have just done it on our own financially or whatever, but it means a lot to know people care.”
Angie stays home now because she requires oxyen around the clock. She stepped away in April from her job as a CNA with Memorial Hospital in Aurora, where she has worked the past 16 years.
“The hospital here has been absolutely amazing,” she said, again fighting back tears. “They’re very supportive and even though I’m not working, they all reach out by text or a phone call to see how I’m doing. I work with specialty clinics and even the doctors I work with have been supportive.”
The Bursons have three children, including Ethan, Teegan and Emily, ages 21, 18 and 8.
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