NEDERLAND, Texas — A Nederland mom of two is fighting against the clock for her life.
Marielos Dublon has a life-threatening auto immune disease and needs a double lung transplant. She just got added to the transplant list yesterday, but she doesn't know when the call will come.
When it does, she has to be ready with nearly $20,000 to have the surgery.
Dublon has been struggling with the disease for 10 years. She hopes a double lung transplant will allow her to live long enough to see her two children have families of their own.
"The surgeon told me, 'if you don't get this lung transplant, you wouldn't be here a year, two more.' He goes you really, really are sick," Dublon said.
Before she was diagnosed with scleroderma in 2014, Dublon says she always felt out of breath and that her hands would turn purple.
"To hear that you're terminally ill from being like super mom to not even being able to get up, not able to wash your own dishes," said Dublon.
She has been fighting to get on a long transplant list and now she needs a donation.
"There's a very strict list of criteria that you have to meet," said event organizer Nicole Quebedeaux.
The procedure cost over $1 million. Even with insurance, there are out-of-pocket post surgery expenses that total up to $18,000.
Dublon has to pay the money up front in order to have the surgery.
"She would need for not only housing after surgery that is required, she has to be within the hospital," Quebedeaux said.
Quebedeaux, Stephanie Nelson, along with members of the Nederland First Baptist Church are coming together to help ease the burden.
"We've been having a lot of outreach and a lot of donations, but we still have a long way to go," said Nelson.
A silent auction, as well as a link and bake sale are happening on Saturday, October 19 at First Baptist Church in Nederland to help raise the money Dublon needs.
The event will be from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
If you can't make it to the fundraiser on Saturday, you can still contribute to Dublon's surgery costs by donating on the Southeast Texas Circle of Hope website.