By April Drew

Woodlawn residents will get together on Sunday, December 3 for an event to raise funds for a local girl who may possibly die if she doesn't receive a double lung transplant immediately.

Anita Ainsworth, 27, is in hospital in Dublin since earlier this month, and won't be permitted to leave until she receives a new lung.

Ainsworth, who resided in Woodlawn with her new baby daughter, Ayla, and her boyfriend Aidan, went home to Ireland in the summer to attend her sister's wedding and to introduce her new daughter to her family. Ainsworth then planned on returning to New York.

“She was so excited. Between the wedding and showing Ayla off she was on cloud nine. Life can be so cruel to people sometimes,” says a friend of Ainsworth, who asked to remain anonymous.

Woodlawn residents may remember Ainsworth as the gracious chef who worked in Fitzy’s Bar and Restaurant on McLean Avenue in Yonkers.

“She was a big surprise when she walked in here two years ago,” said Pat McKnight, Ainsworth's boss. “The other chef hired her and she turned out to be better than the that chef.”

Ainsworth is only one of three people in Ireland diagnosed with what is called LAM disease, a rare lung condition effecting women almost exclusively, usually during their childbearing years. LAM often goes misdiagnosed as asthma or chronic bronchitis.

At first, when Ainsworth became pregnant with her daughter her condition got worse, but doctors were unable to identify it so they put it down to asthma and chest pains.

While she worked in Fitzy’s, she had trouble with her breathing but McKnight said, “We all thought it was asthma she was suffering from, she always had problems with her breathing.”

It was the night of her sisters wedding that Ainsworth became ill. The following morning her difficulty with breathing became progressively worse.

She was instantly rushed to hospital in Castlebar, Co. Mayo where the doctors could not pinpoint the illness. Shortly after she suffered another attack and doctors in Limerick diagnosed Ainsworth with LAM disease.

Soon tasks people generally take for granted were becoming monstrous chores for Ainsworth. She had difficulty taking a shower, eating and other regular activities, but her biggest heartbreak was not being able to look after her daughter.

“Her daughter is her world. She is a wonderful mother and never let being sick interfere with their relationship, but now there is absolutely nothing she can do, she is totally relying on her family for support and they are great,” recalls her friend.

Ainsworth has been living her life of late attached to a breathing machine. Just before McKnight spoke to the Irish Voice last Friday, he received a call from Ainsworth's family to notify him she had taken a turn for the worse and had been hurried to hospital in Dublin.

“We just received bad news about Anita. She was taken to a Dublin hospital today in very bad shape. She was only given three weeks if they don't get something done immediately. All her family were called to be with her,” said McKnight.

Ainsworth’s only chance of survival is a double lung transplant. One transplant won't cure her, but it will definitely help her in the short term.

Even if a double transplant does happen, there is still a risk that the condition may return. Because she has worsened so quickly her family are hopeful that she will be bumped up the list to get her transplant very soon.

McKnight, who recently went to visit Ainsworth in Galway, describes her as a bubbly 27 year old who was always up to mischief and fun. “She was hard to keep reins on but she was great fun,” he says. McKnight is organizing the fundraiser in his bar to help the Ainsworth's with costs.

The fundraiser will be “low key” according to McKnight. People will be asked to give donations at the door and some spot prizes will be given out.

Big Girls Blouse will provide live music and DJ Johnny will also make an appearance. It will start at 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 3.

For more information call 914-776-2859.