Sandy Olson, a 39 year-old Dawson County native and single mother of four is facing the fight of her life.

Olson was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy during her last pregnancy almost 10 years ago.

“She’s fought hard for 9 years now,” said Olson’s sister Suzy Pittman, who along with the support of the Georgia Transplant Foundation, is organizing fundraising efforts to provide her sister with a life-saving heart transplant.

“They (doctors) only gave her 4 years when she was diagnosed. Her kids have kept her going,” added Pittman.

Olson’s heart condition has reached the point where a heart transplant is the only way to save her life.

“Her EF (ejection fraction) is now about 10 percent and she desperately needs a heart transplant,” said Pittman.

Olson has spent the past 9 years being the best mother she could be to her four children, Angel, 18, Kayla, 17, Christian, 11 and Sabrina, 9, while battling with the withering effects of her condition.

“It’s been really hard. I had to help out a lot growing up,” said Olson’s eldest daughter Angel, speaking of the effects her mother’s condition has had on the family of five.

Angel said in spite of her mother’s condition, Olson has been the “best mother a child could ask for.”

“She’s done everything for us that she could, considering her condition, and given us so much support growing up,” said Angel, who plans on attending North Georgia College in the fall.

Pittman said Olson’s strongest desire is “to get better enough to do things with her children again.”

Those wishing to help save a life can make donations by sending a check or money order to the Sandy Olson Transplant Fund, 250 Painter Road, Rome, GA 30165.

For questions or more information, contact the Georgia Transplant Foundation at (706) 475-3796 or Suzy Pittman at (706) 237-6424.

E-mail Adam C. Stapleton at adam@dawsonnews.com.