Stand With My best friend : A Father Fighting Through Kidney Failure
— “Dee” as many of us know him — is a hardworking, humble, and loving father of three. He lights up when talking about his kids: a 16-year-old, a 7-year-old, and his newest joy, a 6-month-old baby. But right now, Dee is fighting a health battle that’s making it nearly impossible to show up for them in the way he wants — and needs — to.
Living with chronic kidney failure, recurring infections, and painful kidney stones, Dee is often hospitalized and bedridden. He has a tube in his back, carries a catastrophe bag, and fights through pain most of us will never know. He rarely speaks on it, hiding the severity from those around him — but the truth is, he’s struggling.
Dee has exhausted all his medical leave at work, and his insurance situation is making things even harder. With no steady income and mounting medical bills, the weight he’s carrying is crushing. But what hurts him most isn’t the pain — it’s missing out on time with his children and not being able to provide in the way he always has.
As Dee himself says:
“I’m a man and a father first. No matter what’s going on with me, I still have to be there for my kids — even if it means putting my own health on the back burner.”