At only five-months-old, Tiffany was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Although Tiffany lived a life as normal as a child with Cystic Fibrosis can, this past February the dream of a normal life for this little girl seemed far away. When the Carters were transferred from Louisville to St. Louis, they were unsure of what to expect. They were told that Tiffany would need a liver transplant and possibly a lung transplant. Upon their arrival, the liver and lung transplant teams decided that a double lung and liver transplant were needed. In March, Tiffany was placed on the waiting list and has since been living in the RMH almost full time.

When I met with the Carters, I had the pleasure of meeting little Miss Tiffany, who will be 13 in August, along with Sparky her beagle puppy. Her father, Ray, purchased Sparky during one of the many hospital stays Tiffany has endured. Sparky is one of the luckiest stuffed animals I have ever met. Not only is Sparky treated like a real dog, but he is also allowed into surgery with Tiffany. During every operation or procedure Sparky has been there by Tiffany’s side, and the transplant teams have already made arrangements for him to go in with Tiffany when it is time for the transplants.

Although being away from their home and their real dog has been hard on the family, when you talk to them, you see the hope and the spirit alive in them all. They do not really like St. Louis food because, as Ray puts it, “it’s not like mama fixed it,” but they are starting to get used to it. They have been all over St. Louis to see all of the attractions and have found that St. Louis is not without many things to see and do.

While the Carters have been here, the people back home in Madison, IN have been working hard for a foundation that has been created called “Taking Time For Tiffany.” This foundation is helping to raise money for Tiffany’s transplants. The foundation has raised over $22,000 dollars and is still running strong. Amazingly, many people from the Carter’s hometown have become involved in this foundation. The school participated in a raffle of a bike and raised over $2,500 dollars. The Carter’s family restaurant put on a spaghetti dinner with the Mayor, Police Chief and the Post Master, just to name a few, as the waiters. The dinner was a success and raised over $6,300 dollars. During the year other fundraisers are held and this summer an auction is scheduled.

As you can tell, this little girl means a lot, not only to her family, but to the entire town of Madison. And when you meet this almost teenager, it is easy to see why so many people are “Taking Time For Tiffany.”