My beautiful aunt Tammy “Tia”(pictured with her grandson Jeramy) is in her mid-forties and has been receiving dialysis for years because she is in end stage renal failure. She has dialysis three days a week and it really wears her down and often leaves her with crippling headaches and muscle spasms. To survive, she needs a kidney transplant. Sadly, a few month ago, Tia decided that she was not going to attempt to get a kidney transplant because her spend down expenses that she would have to pay out-of-pocket would be $900/month. Tammy cannot afford it and did not want to burden her family with this cost.

After weeks of talking we were able to make Tia see that her life is much more valuable than any amount of money. Tia is the most caring and giving person that I have ever met. She has devoted her life to her nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers, son, and now grandson. No matter if it was financial, emotional, or physical we all knew we could count on Tia and she would never let us down. I personally owe my life to her and it is time that we as a family help her. I am hoping that we can raise enough money to go ahead with the transplant without fear of affording the medications. In addition to medication expenses, there are other out of pocket expenses including travel for doctor appointments and post-transplant caregiver expenses.