'I Have Life in Me That I Still Want to Live'

Nereida Smith simply wants what we all want: a chance at life.

But for Smith, a longtime Cinnaminson resident, life will come at a much higher price than she ever could have expected. In fact, she knows exactly how much it will cost her—more than $650,000.

For the past 17 years, Smith, 56, has struggled with systemic scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease that has attacked and weakened her lungs, as well as her esophagus, leaving her extremely vulnerable to respiratory disorders like pneumonia, bronchitis and pulmonary fibrosis.

About four years ago, she found out she would need a double-lung transplant in order to live. Smith’s condition has continued to deteriorate over the past several months while she waits for a transplant—she is also struggling with pulmonary fibrosis—and she has been in and out of hospitals many times over.

“I have had a rough year since January,” Smith said from her hospital bed at Virtua Voorhees, breathing with the help of the nine liters of oxygen she needs to get through each day. “I’ve gone through a lot, but I’ve said very little … But I’m at the end of the road.”

For the most part, Smith has suffered in silence. Only those closest to her—particularly her husband, Richard, her “rock," and her two sons and grandsons—know what she’s been through. But Smith said she needs help now more than ever.

The cost of the transplant is approximately $650,000. Even with health insurance, which will help cover some of the transplant costs, Smith will need follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medication for the rest of her life, according to the National Foundation for Transplants (NFT).

About two years ago, Smith turned to NFT, a nonprofit that helps transplant patients raise funds to pay for medical expenses by setting up online donation pages and marketing fundraising events.

NFT spokesperson Emily Joyner said Smith’s campaign has been fairly quiet so far, with slightly more than $5,000 raised. Now that her condition has worsened however, supporters have organized a fundraiser for July 21 at PJ Whelihan’s in Cherry Hill. Admission is $20 and will include a buffet, Chinese auction, and entertainment by DJ Mix Masta B and Edgardo Cintron & Friends, as well as a drawing for a door prize.

Joyner said NFT patients raise around $20,000 on average. Smith’s goal is set at $50,000. In its 30-year existence, NFT has helped transplant patients raise approximately $65 million.

Despite the obstacles in front of her, Smith’s spirits remain as high as they can be.

“We continue to fight, because what else can we do?” she said, taking comfort in the knowledge that while her condition has made life a daily uphill battle, it’s also bumped her to the top of the transplant waiting list. “At this point, that’s what’s on my side."

She admitted her worst fear is getting this close to the transplant, to her—and her family's—salvation, and not making it: “That’s what I don’t want. I want to make it to that chance … I have life in me that I still want to live.”

To read more about Smith or make a donation, visit her NFT donation page here. If you prefer to mail your contribution, send it to the NFT New Jersey Transplant Fund, 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Be sure to write “in honor of Nereida Smith” in the subject line.