An Irish woman is changing her name to Donald Trump for the best reason:
Helen McDonnell says she’s making the switch to draw attention to her fundraising campaign for her dying husband.
Her husband Peter has been given about 5 years to live, if he doesn’t get a double lung transplant.
It’s not just a joke about Donald Trump though, if Hillary had won that would be Helen’s new name instead. Either way, she needs to raise $50,000 for the transplant.
“The first stage is going to the High Court, but I am looking into the full process and will be changing it on my all my IDs,” she told UK’s The Daily Star.
“I’m still coming to terms with the fact I could soon be called Donald Trump.”
As for the idea, her nephew is the genius behind the stunt.
“It started off as a bit of a silly joke by nephew Oliver who suggested I change my name to whoever wins the U.S. election.”
Because of Peter’s illness, she can no longer work leaving the pair cash-strapped.
From Helen’s fundraising page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/namechanger
My name’s Helen and I’ve been married to Peter for 34 years. He’s my best friend. My life.
After Peter began getting breathless in the summer of 2013, he was diagnosed with IPF – Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with honeycombing of the lungs, a terminal lung disease for which there is no known cause and, worse still, no cure. We were told he could expect to survive 3-5 years. The only way to help him live longer is by receiving a double lung transplant.
The last 3 years have been a real struggle for Peter, relying on an oxygen machine to do the most ordinary things. As his condition’s deteriorated, I became not only his carer, but also the sole earner. I’ve had to take leave from my job, exhausted all of our life savings and I’m scared beyond belief that money will be an obstacle to his last chance of life.
Following the life-saving transplant, he’ll need full time care. Countless medical tests and procedures lie ahead, along with visits to surgeons, psychiatrists, social workers and rehab. Travel and accommodation costs alone are currently a real barrier to saving Peter’s life.
If he could run a marathon or skydive from a plane to gather sponsorship, he would. He’s an immensely proud man which is why asking for any help is so difficult. So when our nephew came up with the idea to change my name based on the outcome of the Presidential Election, I knew it would appeal to Peter’s sense of humour, just one of the things I love most about him. I’m still coming to terms with the fact I could soon be called Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump if we reach our target, but I guess it’s a small price to pay to give Peter one last chance.
We need all the help we can get for this lung transplant and as a last ditch resort are asking you for your help – large or small, it’ll make a huge difference to our lives.
We hope our story will help to raise awareness for this truly debilitating disease. Please share using #NameChanger
Thank you,
Helen/Donald/Hillary
