Adelia Harris, age 21, needs a heart transplant to survive. In April, she was diagnosed with heart failure and was told her heart was functioning like the heart of a 90–year–old woman. Doctors began aggressive treatments in hopes of stabilizing her condition, but her heart was already severely damaged.

In October, Harris received a heart pump to sustain her life while she awaits the transplant.

A heart transplant costs about $775,000, and that’s only the beginning. Even with health coverage, Harris faces significant expenses related to her transplant. She will need follow– up care and anti–rejection medications for the rest of her life. These medications can cost as much as $5,000 a month, and they are as critical to her survival as the transplant itself.

To overcome these financial challenges, Harris turned to the National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) for assistance. NFT is a nonprofit organization that helps transplant patients raise funds to pay for medical expenses.

Volunteers are holding a yard sale and cook–off to help Harris with her expenses Saturday, Nov. 21 from 8 am to 3 pm at Aye’s Kinderoo Care, 213 Vanboklen Street in Eastover.

The event includes a yard sale, fried fish, hamburgers, and a cook–off with local entrepreneurs. For more information, please contact Ethel Greene at ethgree@ aol.com or 803-353- 2705.

To donate, visit www.transplants.org and click on “patients we help” to search for her. Mail contributions to the NFT South Carolina Heart Fund, 5350 Poplar Avenue, Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Be sure to write “in honor of Adelia Harris” in the subject line.