On Tuesday, February 14th, my niece Jessica will turn 18! That's right, she was born on Valentine's Day. Sometimes I can't believe that she will be a "real" adult because it seems like she was just born! Aren't memories weird that way?
Jessica is a mostly healthy girl. But she had to have a kidney transplant in 2007, so sometimes she gets sick since she has to take immune suppressants to keep her body from rejecting it. However, she's really grateful to have the kidney. My brother Matt is the one that gave her his kidney, and everyone in the family really looks up to him for the sacrifice he made for her.
Not everyone with kidney problems is lucky enough to have someone in their family able to donate one. They have to be put on a list and wait for one to become available. And because of the expensive cost of the immune suppressants that I mentioned before, people aren't allowed on the list until they can prove that they will be able to afford the medicines and take good care of the kidney they receive. This means that she has to have the $5000 for her first year of medications for a year saved up before they'll put her on the list.
All of this is leading up to a story I recently read about on my niece Steffani's blog. Her friend Heather has a cousin who needs a kidney (Here are a couple places on her blog that she talks about her cousin:
http://browneyedbell.blogspot.com/p/kidney-for-kristy.html, http://browneyedbell.blogspot.com/2012/01/kidney-4-kristy-deadline.html, http://browneyedbell.blogspot.com/2012/02/thankful-thursday-v61.html). She has been attempting to get on the kidney transplant list for a few months. But the thing that is holding her back is the $5000. She has about $800 left to earn. But she has to get it by February 29th.
If any of you want to get involved, you can donate to her kidney fund here. Or you can share this story and this link on Facebook or your blog: http://www.giveforward.com/kidneyforkristy.
I hope that she is able to get on the list.
Yay, I'm so glad you posted this! And she's actually down to $600 now!!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness Merry, I just caught up on all your February post. It sounds like you guys have been up to so much. First off, congrats on Dave's parents. That is SO awesome!! Also, I hope you guys move back to Utah! Good luck looking for sweet jobs:) We hope to see you two sooner than later...
ReplyDeleteYou guys are the sweetest! Thanks for reposting! Amazing news! Last week a company in Orlando donated $800 and over the weekend at a benefit yard sale she raised about $800, so she is now over the $5000 which is perfect. She has already submitted to Shand's the proof that she has the $5000 and she will continue to raise through the deadline of the 29th to help pay for travel costs to and from Orlando to Gainesville. Thanks again! <3 I'm so happy to hear your niece is doing well!
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