A Help Hope Live Client Case Study with Joshua Cole Raymond
Part of the Midwest/West Transplant Fund
OVERVIEW
Diagnosed with kidney disease at age 23, Joshua Raymond was told a kidney transplant was 20 years away. That timeline held true: at age 43, the loving husband and father of 3 learned he would need a transplant. Josh’s father lived with the same diagnosis and passed away before he got the chance to move from dialysis to transplant.
THE PROBLEM
Josh and his family knew they’d be facing a significant financial commitment to make the gift of a healthier life possible. They anticipated $10,000 in out-of-pocket costs for Josh to be able to prepare for, receive, and recover from a kidney transplant.
THE SOLUTION/APPROACH
Josh and family had turned to Help Hope Live for fundraising just 1 month before the transplant took place. Help Hope Live’s nonprofit status made it an easy choice over GoFundMe.
In a faith-filled breakthrough, a close friend of Josh’s stepped forward as a living kidney donor. Shiloh, the wife of a youth minister at their church, successfully donated a kidney to Josh. Naming the precious gift “Kelly the Kidney,” Josh said Shiloh was even more excited than he was.
THE OUTCOME
Josh’s loving community met and exceeded their fundraising goal with Help Hope Live, raising over $14,700 in Josh’s honor. Full of gratitude, their family moved forward knowing this gift and the fundraising campaign behind it would bring Josh new hope: being the first male in 3 generations to live past age 50.
The Help Hope Live Touch
Help Hope Live was a trusted recommendation from Josh’s transplant team. Josh and his family loved the transparency, protection, and tax deductibility that Help Hope Live made possible for their support community.
To ensure finances don’t stay in the way of the gift of life, funds raised through a campaign in honor of a transplant patient can be used to offset verified living donor expenses.
Help Hope Live can also launch verified fundraising campaigns in honor of living donors.
“It’s amazing how generous people can be when they know exactly what they are contributing to.”
