GREENE – Twelve years ago, Jeanne Clink, a lifelong resident of Greene, was diagnosed with Pulmonary Cystic Fibrosis and a rare autoimmune disease which caused irreparable damage to her lungs and heart and left her bedridden and unable to breath on her own.
But today, thanks to a life-saving double lung and heart transplant and the incredible support of her family, friends and community, she is now walking and breathing on her own.
The road to recovery has been an arduous one, however. Dozens of different medications and physical therapy are helping Clink return to the world she loves. To ease some of the financial stress, Clink’s best friend since childhood, Jill Doll, is organizing a barbecue fundraiser for the community to contribute both moral and financial support to the entire Clink family. The event will take place on Saturday at the Berean Bible Church with an admission fee of $8 for adults and $4 for children 10 and younger.
Hamburgers, hot dogs, a variety of salads and drinks will be aromatic background of the fun-filled day. There will be a silent auction of donated gift baskets from businesses as close as Greene and as far as Cooperstown and Oneonta. Various baskets will contain tickets for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, two greens and a cart rental from Genegantslet Golf Course, sheet pizzas from Mimi’s and Grotta’s, wine and glasses from Black Bear Winery, a basket from the New York State Historical Association and gifts cards from The Cheese Trap, Cracker Barrel, Ice Cream Store on 206, Price Chopper and Wal-Mart. Many of Clink’s friends have also donated items and baskets to help with her recovery.
There will be outdoor games for all ages such as Ladder Ball, Cornhole and Can-Jam (if some of the games sound unfamiliar, Doll assured that they’re all fun, but showing up trying them out is the only way to know for sure).
It isn’t easy to watch a family member go through a terrible disease. Samantha Clink, Jeanne’s daughter, said watching her mother in such pain was made all that harder since she is only 41.
“She had my brother and I young and she’s always been the toughest person I know,” said Clink, who is looking forward to a weekend of smiling, laughing neighbors and fun in the sun.
She explained that the last 12 years had grown increasingly difficult as her mother went from needing oxygen only at night to carrying around a tank 24/7.
“The best description is of a roller coaster ... one hour she’d be fine and the next something would have gone wrong,” said Samantha. “After the surgery, everything has been getting better ... most people apologize, but this is the best she’s been since she was diagnosed.”
At the worst, Clink had slipped into a coma and required an external heart to keep her alive. At one point she was taken off the transplant list.
“The doctors suspected brain damage, but they checked 12 hours later, she passed and was instantly moved to number one on the list in all of New Hampshire, Pa, Del., and New York, ... and number two in the whole United States,” she said. “Sixteen hours later, she was in surgery.”
Clink explained how she was the first transplant patient at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia since they re-opened that program after 10 years.
Five hours of surgery, one day in critical intensive care and two months of physical therapy later, she returned home mobile and strong for the first time in years.
“The timing was perfect,” said Clink. “Everything from having children who were old enough to help to getting into an amazing hospital.”
Jeanne still attends physical therapy in Vestal three times a week and needs blood work biweekly, but her daughter said she’s doing better by the day.
“She’s eager to get back to work ... she’s always been someone who needs to be doing something,” Samantha said.