WindSong Foundation

The Wind Song Foundation is an organization created by Stacey Li Collver's friends and family to raise funds to pay for medical care & equipment, surgery, and research.

In August 2003, Stacey was diagnosed with a rare lung disease called lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). By that time, her case was already in an advanced state. At the time of diagnosis, she was put on supplemental oxygen, and she was told she had approximately two 2 years to live unless she received a lung transplant.

Fortunately, in November 2004 Stacey did receive a double-lung transplant at the Stanford Medical Center! She was taken care of by her mother, Laura Jeanchild and friend Dave Allen with special attention to nutrition. After a lot of rehabilitation, Stacey was back to climbing indoors 3 months after surgery! However, within the next week she had a major setback, and fell ill to CMV virus, pneumonia, and influenza all at once and spent nearly 2 more months in the hospital. She was released from the hospital in April 2005 and is now making a second recovery. Six months post-transplant, she started hiking and indoor climbing again.

While the transplant was hailed as a success, she continues to battle post-operation complications and has amassed enormous medical bills. Survival rates for transplant patients remain at 70% for the first year, and 50% for the first five years.

Stacey would like to thank her mother, Dave, and hundreds of friends like you who have offered support. Many of you have made financial contributions, visited the hospital, helped with rehabilitation, or organized "Summits for Stacey" fundraisers, including the annual climb-a-thon in December.

We hope this site will help you to keep abreast with Stacey's progress, inspire other LAM and transplant patients, and help bring in donations and messages of suppport to Stacey as she starts her new life as a transplant patient. Stacey especially hopes you will enjoy the on-line journal and pictures of Stacey's life.

Who is Stacey

Stacey Collver is widely known within the community as the tiny climber who encourages others through enthusiastic coaching, patient mentoring and by leading though example.

Stacey considers her biggest joys and accomplishments to be looking beyond her own personal bests in favor of encouraging others to challenge themselves to set and pursue their loftiest goals. As former head coach of the of the "Team Twisters," youth climbing team, and the Chapter Coordinator (and founder) of the SF Bay Area Sheclimbs club, Stacey encourages all of us to "climb your dream."

Since her diagnosis in August of 2003, many people have come forward to help Stacey through personal visits to the hospital, extreme fund-raising events, and generous donations. These outstanding contributions have meant a lot to Stacey. When she was too weak to climb, this support helped her stay positive and focus on the kindness of the human spirit that goes beyond climbing.