5K scheduled for Morgan Yoney
From left, Morgan Yoney, 22, of Spraggs, and Addison Basiorka, 7, of Jefferson Township, each had organ transplants in January 2010. Basiorka’s mother, Renee, is organizing a 5K run to fundraise for Morgan, who is, once again, waiting for a double-lung transplant.
Addison Basiorka, 7, of Jefferson Township, and Morgan Yoney, 22, of Spraggs, each had organ transplants in January 2010. Basiorka’s mother, Renee, is organizing a September 5K run in Greene County to fundraise for Morgan, who is, once again, waiting for a double-lung transplant.
Renee Basiorka met Morgan Yoney in January of 2010 at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Basiorka’s 2-week-old daughter, Addison, had just received a heart transplant Jan. 6, only nine days before Morgan had a liver and double-lung transplants.
“I still remember the day Morgan came out of surgery,” Basiorka said. “Her mom and I were talking in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, and we realized we’re both from Greene County. We’ve been close with the Yoneys ever since.”
That’s why, when Basiorka, of Jefferson Township, heard Morgan, a 22-year-old Spraggs woman, was once again in need of a double-lung transplant, she wanted to help the family any way she could. She started planning a “Run4Morgan” 5K Sept. 10, along Greene River Trail to raise money for Morgan.
As a baby, Morgan was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder in which the lungs and digestive system are clogged with mucus, often resulting in liver and lung transplants. She had both in 2010, when she was 15, but three years later, discovered her body was rejecting the lungs.
She’s been waiting for her second double-lung transplant for nearly two years.
“It’s terrifying and the fact that Morgan’s been waiting almost two years now for her lungs – I can’t even imagine having to wait that long,” Basiorka said.
Basiorka only had to wait a week for Addison’s heart transplant, but she said that still felt like an eternity.
“They had a perfect match,” she said. “But it was still terrifying. She was born early and she had an emergency C-section at 34 weeks. She went right into surgery.”
Addison is now a healthy first-grader, who is best friends with Morgan.
“They love each other,” Basiorka said. “When we were in the hospital, Addison was under 5 pounds. Morgan made her a little bracelet and I still have that for her.”
Morgan’s still waiting on that phone call from UPMC-Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh, telling them a donor was found.
“They have gotten some offers for her, but the lungs haven’t been viable or the right size,” Morgan’s mother, Tammy Yoney, said. “We are still waiting, but they’re saying it’s coming and to be ready at any time.”
Lately, Morgan has been in and out of the hospital. Her lungs are functioning at 18 percent, Tammy said, and she’s only had 20 days since January without an IV.
“She’s doing as good as she can do with what little lung function she has,” she said. “Every time she goes off of the IVs she gets sick and goes back into the hospital.”
Tammy said she’s thankful for the community support and is excited for the upcoming run for her daughter.
“Everybody’s still backing us,” she said. “Everybody has their signs up and we appreciate that they’re still fighting this with us. I just can’t wait to post that we have lungs. It will be great to see so many people excited.”
The run will begin at 9 a.m., followed by a Chinese auction, at Greene Cove Yacht Club in Jefferson. Registration costs for $20 before Aug. 1. Runners are guaranteed a T-shirt and packet. Participants will walk or run more than 1.5 miles on the trail, before returning to the Club.
The race times will be officiated by SERJ Racing Services of Uniontown and refreshments will be served afterwards. Center for Organ Recovery and Education will also have a booth at the event.
Basiorka and Christina Ross, race organizers, said Greene County Commissioners and Parks and Recreation Department are joining together for the event. Pam Blaker, Parks and Recreation manager, said her department helped with marketing the event and printing brochures.
“We’ll prepare the trail like we do for the other races and help out on race day,” Blaker said.
Basiorka said they’re still looking for race sponsors and the deadline is July 15. A $400 gold sponsor will be promoted on all social media postings and on the back of the T-shirts. A $250 silver donation will put a name on the back of the T-shirt.
All proceeds will go to Morgan and her family to pay for travel and food expenses, Basiorka said.
For more information on individual donations, corporate sponsorships or race registration, contact Ross by email at run4morgan@gmail.com. People can donate to Morgan through the Morgan’s Army Facebook page at www.facebook.com/morgansarmy/ or to her online fundraiser at www.gofundme.com/morgansarmy.