Hello, my name is Gary. Several years back, my kidneys failed at the age of 33. I found myself on dialysis and since then have found it very hard to find a job that can work around my medical issues, leaving me stuck on SSDI.
Well, recently I find myself applying for a kidney transplant. During my evaluation at Emory Transplant Center, I learned just how expensive and stressful this process can be. I will spend the rest of my life on expensive medicine to prevent organ rejection. I come from a modest family with not much financial means; we are pretty lower class. The money we make is just barely enough to pay our bills and feed us. My stepfather is retired and can’t work anymore, and my mother has a plethora of her own health issues, so she also can’t work. I do what I can on days I don’t feel sick, but most of the time I have to help my ailing parents, so working in general is difficult.
The clinic advised me that this whole process is very involved and may require me to move somewhere where there are people that can help me. Living in Georgia, I’m 1,000 miles away from most of my family and all of my friends who could help me. The doctors won’t accept my parents because of their medical issues. And honestly, I don’t want to die; my family needs me.
So basically, I’m starting this fund to help get money to pay for my post-surgery needs and health care. The American Kidney Foundation will help by matching donations to help with this. I’ll need transportation weekly for blood work and testing, copays for meds, and possibly money to help pay bills to keep the lights on, food on the table, and possibly to fly in a donor, or fly to a donor, or even temporary relocation to be accepted for transplant. Everything is touch and go right now.
I know for at least 2 months after transplant I won’t be able to work at all, maybe longer? I don’t know. I worry though about my family. How will things get paid, and things get done while I’m unable to? How will I pay these medical bills? Copays? Hospital stays? How will my family get basic needed work done like mowing or house repairs while I’m down? We will have to pay someone to do it, and we can’t afford this. As I said, my family is pretty broken and relies on me for the “bull work”—things they physically can’t or shouldn’t do, things I won’t be able to either for a while. Expenses we just can’t afford.
I’m lost and confused, but mostly scared. I wish I had a rich relative somewhere, but I don’t. Wish I had better insurance, but I don’t. Wish there was another way besides relying on the help of strangers, but I don’t really have a choice. My options are transplant or death, and my wallet just isn’t making the grade. I have a ton of emotional support, but emotions don’t pay bills, and they don’t get me my meds that I’ll need to survive. This is like my last-ditch effort to save myself and make sure my family is not harmed. So please, anything helps. This process could take a while, like maybe a couple of years. I figure that’s enough time to raise money to ensure stability for myself and my loved ones. To keep me getting the meds and treatment I’ll need so I can recover and get back into work to help my family. But it will be a long road to recovery and getting back to that properly, and I can’t do it alone.
Even if you can’t donate any money, consider going to the American Kidney Foundation website and becoming a donor. Talk to your doctors about it. You can save a life and become someone’s real-life hero. As I said, anything helps. I would even accept donations of food or time if you contact me directly. Anything to ease the burden on my family.
I thank everyone in advance for anything they are willing to do or give. God bless you all, and pray that no one you care about ever needs to deal with anything like this. Take care of yourselves, stay healthy, and remember to tell those you love how much you love them as often as you can, because you never know when something could happen to them, and then you can’t. God bless.
You can contact me via email
For any questions, concerns, whatever. Thank you.