Bobbi Needs Your Help!
My name is Bobbi Keel, a 45-year-old woman who is very ill. From the time I was a 2 ½ year old little girl, I have battled diabetes and, on 2/7/1993, I received my first kidney/pancreas transplant. I was 20 at the time. Fortunately, my health was relatively stable for the next 13 years until 2006 when my pancreas became infected. A year after that, a car accident destroyed my kidney. Ever since then, I have been on dialysis three days a week. It has been over a decade. My doctors at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center have told me I need a second kidney/pancreas transplant to return to good health. Your help will make the difference.
I come from an average family with two brothers and two sisters. Though each of us lives very different lives and have our own unique ideas, we all stick together! Over the years my family has been wonderfully supportive. They’ve seen me struggle with high blood pressure and poor circulation and even temporary blindness. A typical day for me starts very early in the morning. I drive 40 miles to be hooked up to a dialysis machine for 4 ½ hours. When I return home, usually around 1 p.m., I am so tired unable to work or even visit with friends. I feel like I am dying a little more each day, like my head is way too heavy for my shoulders, my legs lacking any muscle with unsightly veins showing through my thin skin. Through all of this, I am holding on to the hope that I will receive this gift of life.
Transplants are life-saving but financially draining. Even with insurance, I’m facing very high expenses including travel (240 miles round trip to the transplant center) and relocation for me and my caregiver, post-transplant anti-rejection medication I will need to take for the rest of my life, copays and meals. This is a challenge I cannot face alone! However, as a person who looks at a problem from all sides before deciding on the best plan of action, I have chosen to look at my health in the same way. With this in mind, I have started on a fundraising journey.
To help with this financial burden of uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in my honor has been established with Help Hope Live, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law, are held by Help Hope Live in the Northwest Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only. Please consider a contribution.
For credit card contributions, please click on the yellow Donate Now button.
Your support is critical to the overall success of my struggle. Please know that your contribution counts. Thank you in advance for your kind consideration.
With sincere gratitude,
Bobbi Keel
[email protected]
Updates (49)
July 25, 2019
Hi there everyone!! I am doing much better and am excited to be leaving a small update. I am still working on running down time before i can physically have a transplant. I made it through the check ups so far and am confident I will do so with the rest. Hope everyone is doing great and hope they continue to do so. thanks talk again soon.
December 31, 2017
It has been a long time since I have written. I hope everyone gets all their wishes this whole year. Here is an update for my transplant timing: The transplant team has decided it will be 5 years until i am eligible for the next transplant, as long as I do not have any flare ups of the cancers. So I will pray and Hope and keep as healthy as possible. I am really hoping that everyone else can do the same throughout the coming 5 years and forever.
July 29, 2017
Hi all, I am sorry I have not been here I have been to so many doctors appointments that I feel like a traveling salesman.l I have had breast cancer surgery and am trying to get back up and running. If you all will be patient with me I am really happy that anyone has stood by me. so any one that wants to send me a note I would love it . Thank you all. God Speed to everyone.
June 29, 2017
Hi everyone, well there are some issues but for the moment i am doing ok. I am going to go ahead with as much fundraising as I can but my TP might be on hold for another two years still gotta talk to transplant about it. thanks for your support everyone. God Bless you all!!
June 19, 2017
Hi everyone. I hope you are all enjoying the warm weather. I feel like i am being cooked or baked as it is here but that gives me incentives. I finally realized i am so disorganized it is nuts. My projects just get finished to have another take its place.. eeek it is scary to realize i get really lazy when i can. well any way enough of my complaining, time seems to be running really fast for me. it is exciting to know things are finally at a starting stage.
June 13, 2017
One more note from me today. I give thanks to all of those that have given me strength and hope and so much more.
June 13, 2017
Hi everyone, I am sorry I have not sent word in all that is going on just got way tooo busy. So to start the most exciting news is that I am going to start with the introduction to my transplant team in two weeks and i am excited like you would not believe. I have had a bunch of doctors appointments to get done and of course i missed one. I have to admit my good and my bad. Unfortunately I slept through one appointment. I will be making another one though. I am getting all the pre stuff done next week. jWOW I cannot believe i have made it this far, but I am sooo happy. I also get to spend some time with my cousin when I go for my first set up appointments. Both are extremely important to me. So my big prayer that I hope will reach the heavens for all Dear God in heaven Please bless and give forgiveness to all that reach for your hand. In Gods name Amen. this prayer is for whatever god you want it to be. This world has so many. I hope it reaches them all.
May 28, 2017
Hi Everyone, Sorry for the long time away. There has been a lot of changes lately but the most exciting one is that I start testing and Meet my transplant team in June. I almost starting jumping for joy. Come to think of it I just might anyway. I love that things are finally moving forward. So my BIG taste of advice for today: Never Give Up !
:) :)
May 14, 2017
Hi everyone. Well I will be starting my transplant stuff soon. I am so happy that it is finally starting. Thanks for all your prayers. I still need prayers and I will send out any Prayers I can. I will always need prayers and the Lords blessings. I hope I have more and more people in my life. Talk to you soon.
May 6, 2017
Hi all, Shesh it has been a very long but short week. I hope things get less complicated but we all know that will never happen. Life seems to just go way to fast. The last year only seems like it was a couple months. On that same note it also seems like it took forever. I was looking forward to 2017 and hoping it would relax a bit but as we all see it is really going by fast. Well I am going to meet each day with positive thoughts and Prayers. Thank You everyone who helps and prays. See ya next time.
April 28, 2017
Well good morning all. I hope you are all doing good. Life is definitely sending out changes for me now a days. But with all the help from all my wonderful friends and family I am making a go of it. I thank God every time I think of all the trials I have made it through. I know that As time goes by I will always succeed as long as I believe in others.
April 19, 2017
Hi Everyone, I hope you are all doing good and avoiding getting what ever the bugs are that are going around. Well I have one more dentist appointment coming up and I am one of the biggest cowards there are. LOL I am still scared to go to the dentist but I keep going. It is starting to get warm outside except for the wind. It has to send that chill up my spine every now and again, But you know what ... that means I am alive and can still feel it. Well all it is bed time. see you all soon.
may all your dreams and wishes come true and God Bless you all.
April 14, 2017
Hi all, Well I have come to realize that it is much more difficult to keep up with everything as goals get closer, or I should say long range goals get closer. I have been trying to get back here and let everyone know how things are going but I am just running out of energy before i can get back here to leave some information. So Please forgive me for taking so long to put some more tidnybits. another sincere apology because i am not going to say a lot tonight i am falling asleep just with this little bit.
April 6, 2017
A very fine morning to everyone. I hope all is well! I cannot say that things are going fast or easy. As anyone can tell you life is not easy but man it is getting harder. I have not felt all that good as of late, those nasty sore throats and the plugged up sinus. it is very frustrating. I mean I love to breath and see at the same time but when they are both causing problems it really sucks, But you know what I think it is part of learning for me. I have to learn to be patient (Lord Help Me), I have to keep myself from getting over confident and I think the biggest thing i have to keep track of is confidence in myself. I have to believe in myself that I can do anything I really want if it is important enough. So I apologize for the grim statements earlier. I hope you all have a really wonderful last few days of this week and many many more wonderful days in the future. thanks talk as soon as I feel ok. thanks all for your support.
March 26, 2017
Hello everyone,
Well I have not been here in too long was trying not to come in when i was feeling bad. well i missed that mark but I am hoping that in a day or two i will feel better. I hope that everyone has a very good weekend. Take care and God Bless
March 18, 2017
Hi all. Well I decided to start putting up things people will need when it comes to having a transplant. It seems like a good idea i got from an awesome lady here at HelpHopeLive. They all have wonderful ideas for fundraising, it is really hard sometimes though. I can say that nothing is worth while if it is easy. So for my first advice is Always keep your teeth in the best shape you can and brush three times a day at least. Your teeth are a major part of keeping Healthy. God Bless everyone.
March 12, 2017
Hi all. Well now i am back to getting teeth done but this time it is not big. YookHoo! Some of the stuff they want us to get done for a transplant is hard but I am really happy to do it. There is two fold for me , getting some of it helps my courage. and then there is the fact that it makes me healthier. So over all it is all good but let me tell you it takes some really hard decisions to keep things going the way they should. So to anyone reading this please never lose faith and never ever give up on yourself or others.
March 1, 2017
Hi everyone. I hope you are all doing great. It is finally getting warmer so we can all stop hurting so much. Well I am starting the final steps to getting me solid on the active status. well thanks all for reading and checking. be safe and until next time. God Bless.
February 19, 2017
Thank you to all of you who attended my tea party. I enjoyed a warm cup myself. Life is really busy right now so please be patient with me! I seem to lose track of time when doctor appointments and stuff start to surround me. I can say though that keeping busy does help time pass quickly. I still thank the lord that I have the people in my life that i do. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. God Bless.
February 14, 2017
Oh and I hope that you all enjoy a cup of tea or cider or something yummy today and enjoy my Virtual Tea Party.
Cheers!!!
February 14, 2017
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO ALL!!
Hey all, I hope you are all having a wonderful time. Life seems to hand us lemons so lets make lemonade!! I know it is hard but try to find something good in any situation you find yourself in. It has taken me many years to realize that by finding one thing good in a bad place makes it much brighter. I am a very happy person(even if my pic shows a frown)! That is me thinking about how to do something so forgive my frown. I have loved everyone I meet they all have something very special that they have shown me. So everyone that takes the time to read this and I hope for those that dont, Take time to find one really beautiful or good thing today. God Bless you all.
February 6, 2017
Hi Everyone, I hope you are all keeping warm in this cold weather. I am currently enjoying the look of the snow we got yesterday and last night. We are finally having a good winter. We really needed it. I know there are not many that like the snow but if we are going to keep the fields and stuff going we are going to need it.
Well everyone I hope you all join me here on the 14th of February for a virtual cup of tea. I hope for those of you that follow me, we all have a wonderful day and enjoy that warm cup at home. I know I will be snug as a bug here at home. :) I am happy to say i am working on getting to spokane to the drs appointments. I am still waiting for a phone call so I am praying for good news when it comes. So you all have a wonderful day.
February 4, 2017
Hi all going to keep it short this time the snow is calling my name! :) I hope you all be very careful and keep warm. I am going to stay home and keep warm myself. Talk to you all soon. God Bless
January 31, 2017
Well Everyone I hopoe you had a ver exciting first month of the year. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's day and that it turns out to be exciting as well. As for the transplant status I still have not heard of what is going on but i think i am getting closer. thank heavens!! Well just to update I am having a Virtual Tea Party so Please join in. take care all until next time. Dear Lord in Heaven Please bless all and help those that need the help and keep us safe. Amen.
January 25, 2017
Ok everyone I hope you all have the best of holidays and did give family the best smile. Well lets see with all the cold in our area things are very strange compared to what I know. :) I have only been here for the past 16 years and to be honest that is not all that long to know the area, especially as fast as they change these days. Any way to give you all an update, hmm lets see I had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Then came the scare, my dialysis access clotted up on me, the darn thing, scared me almost to death literally. LOL When I came home I made a few changes, like changing from the Novalog insulin to Humalog. Well that was a pain when it comes to insurance but the changes in my system were and still are total and complete. I still have a dentist appointment to get completed and over all my numbers are ok. As in most cases with me, I still need to control my fluids. I am trying though. I will get things done. I will NOT give up, and most of all I know that the one thing I believe in the most is there protecting me.
December 25, 2016
Hello all. hope we are all doing exceptional. This is my most precious wish I could have for everyone.: It is that everyone has found something positive to look forwards too. to be happy with the decision you make and have confidence in yourselves.. My Heart is full this Christmas eve.
December 19, 2016
Awesome!! Thank you all and an especially big thanks to Joni. You are always going out to bat for me and my dear friend you will always have wings as far as I am concerned. There are just so many people I want to recognize that there is not enough room on this whole site. Marty and Nikki are so neat and I am so blessed to have them as friends and neighbors. In one day they helped me realize that there are still good hearted people on this earth. I found I had friends that I did not know and oh so many prayers. I know I can do anything when Have people like them around me all the time, and to be honest i truly do not have anyone around me that do not have a very loving heart. My family and all my friends in Ephrata are showing me just how blessed I am. They all help when it comes to dr apts. and those nasty dentist appointments i have such a problem with. They all have good encouraging words to keep me going.
So Everyone today's closing:
My dearest God in Heaven, I pray to you this day and always that these hearts that have reached out to me will always be in the highest regard you can give. I hope you will bless them and all of those around them so that this warmth in my soul will continue with others and it will some day when we are all worthy we will all join you in your oh so beautiful Choir in Heaven with our friends once again. In your name always. Amen.
December 15, 2016
Hi everyone, I hope you are all are doing good and having a very wonderful season, have a very Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year. I want to give a huge thanks to all of those that are following this and helping me get the funds for my transplant. You all make me feel so blessed and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. So my prayer for this post:
Dear Lord in Heaven Please bless all those who need the extra blessing and keep all safe. Dear Lord Please keep our hearts whole. AMEN
December 11, 2016
Hi Everyone, It has been a very busy week. I actually went to a website and started to watch lectures on Algebra. Awesome fun I am having a blast. Life is not easy but I wont stop. I am almost done with my teeth then it will only be the yearly cleaning whew. i hope the lord is taking good care of everyone. He is our almighty saviour, the closing for this is my prayer for all. " Dear God Please bless everyone who is willing to believe and those who are not. we all need a place to keep us warm and fuzzy inside and I hope more and ore can find it. Amen."
November 30, 2016
Hello everyone, I hope you all had a wonderfully awesome Thanksgiving. I know I did, the ladies here at home made sure that I had a wonderful array of stuff on plate for me. I can say I had and have so much to be thankful for. I truly like everyone around me. I give and gave thanks for everyone and everything in my life. It is nice to know that I can look forward and not feel like i am going backwards.
So my prayer for all: Dear God, Thank you for all of life's experiences, and challenges, struggles and fears because of them all I have been able to go forward and will continue to do so. Amen
November 22, 2016
Hi everyone. well I am close i have about three more dentist appointments until i am cleared for a transplant and with my time on the list i will be close to the top when I am cleared. I will keep everyone up to date. I am looking forward to thanksgiving. I wish everyoner a Very Happy Thanksgiving. God Bless
November 13, 2016
Thank You Everyone. If we can keep going i am well on my way to getting what i need for the full month after my transplant. My heart if full of love and the feeling of being so blessed it is amazing. I hope that everyone gets to feel the feeling i feel but i really hope it does not ever take the cost of kidney failure or any other disease this bad. So May God Bless everyone.
November 2, 2016
hi all hope you are all good. been really busy as usual. :) Getting one drs appointment down then there is the next, and of courser we have then weather changes which are driving (a short one) me crazy. So hope you all had a wonderful halloween. next up will be Thanksgiving. We all have so much to be thankful for. that is a thought!
October 30, 2016
hi everyone. Hope we are all doing well. It has been more long weeks than i want to admit, but I am happy to say I am getting closer. I cannot give up now!! We all spring our hopes on butterflies or that is the way I see it all happening. I hope we all always see lots of color and lots of butterflies. These past weeks I have seen lots of them and hope that we always see lots more. My Prayer for the day. Dear lord in heaven may every soul see the beautiful butterflies i see and may all those who cannot see them at this moment see them in the next. AMEN
October 23, 2016
Hey all, hope you have all been doing great. I am happy to report our first fundraiser went absolutely wonderful. I am so thankful for wonderful people. To be honest i had almost given up on most people due to their greedy ways and selfishness i seem to come across, but today I seen some really wonderful things. I am also a witness and recipient of peoples kindness and love. I try to respect everyone, I am glad i have kept a hopeful state in some part of my mind and heart. I seen it was not in vain. so thanks to everyone.
October 12, 2016
I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! :) I am really happy just with being alive. I cannot say that it will stay that way all the time so I am going to enjoy every moment. So a thumbs up to everyone . see ya soon.
October 9, 2016
Well there everyone it has been a long week and a hard one. I am closer to having all my dentist stuff done. I probably have six or so appointments to go but they are all going fairly good. For everyone that reads this, I am really grateful and I am sending out a simple prayer. " Dear God please bless and help all those who are willing to help others. Amen"
October 2, 2016
Everyone I bring into my life is so special. They all mean so much to me. I wish i could give them all wonderful birthday celebrations. It was the day these special people were brought into this world so it is a special; day. I love you all.
October 2, 2016
Hi everyone. I have had a rough week but as the last day of the week it went great. I was able to give a very special lady a very nice dinner and let her know i really appreciate her. So for me the week ended very well. I am doing ok.. and constantly looking for a easy challenge but also enjoying when i sit and rest. Have a wonderful next week everybody.
September 18, 2016
Hello everyone, Well it may not be a big step but I am a little further ahead with my medical side of being ready for the active status for my transplant. I figure if I do each little step necessary then I can make it all the way. It only takes a few extra little steps to make that one large leap, and by each step being taken i wont have to repeat the steps unless there is big changes and this way it will only be little steps. So Please keep cheering me on it does help. Best Prayers and Wishes for now.
September 12, 2016
Hi Everyone. I hope you are all doing good. I am making slow progress, butttt I am still making progress. I am not willing to give up, especially with all of you helping me. I thank the Lord for bringing everyone into my life.
September 5, 2016
Hi everyone. Well I keep getting closer. I still have my stalling times it seems but I do believe we all have those. I know I am one of those that procrastinates a lot. I do try not to but sometimes it is really hard to just get up and go. I have been working on that nasty trait. I finally am getting all of my teeth taken care of instead of just ignoring them. So to every one that is keeping up with this I am sending out a big thank you. for all of you that keep passing my word out another thank you. God Bless all of you.
September 1, 2016
I hope that everyone understands that the 5000 is just the first BIG goal of many. This will cover any travel and the very first part of the stuff i am going to need after my transplant. I have got to get an active amount of $1000 dollars in here first then I will get active status on the list from what I understand. So anyone that is reading this please talk to anyone that might help and ask them to pass it on as well.
September 1, 2016
Ok All, I have been to a couple of the Doc's I needed to go to and they are onboard my path. and they are telling me i am well on my way to starting the process. I am excited and want to say a really big "thank you". May
God Bless everyone involved .
August 24, 2016
Well next on the agenda is a "fun" trip" to the big city. Lets hope it all turns out the way I want it to. Maybe they will be able to give me some sort of ways to solving some problems. Send some prays up for me ok. Thanks everyone.
August 22, 2016
Hi everyone. I am getting closer to having my dental work completed. It is not easy getting my brain to accept that I am not going to get hurt when i I go to the dentist office. Well all hope you are all doing well have a good day.
August 19, 2016
Well all I have not had good luck with my internet lately so please forgive me. It seems that life is going pretty good. My labs are doing well even if my potassium was a bit high. I can and will bring it back down. I have learned that by making an effort things can get accomplished. It just sometimes takes a little more time ans well commitment i think. I am still here and not willing to just leave. I have a goal set so lets make it happen. Thanks. :-)
August 14, 2016
Hello to all. Well it has been a rough few days but I'm still fighting. I have come to realize that our whole lives are a fight of some sort but I have decided to make mine the best I can.
August 10, 2016
Hi everyone, Just wanted to let you all know i am here did not runaway yet. lol not ever going to do that but am very happy to know there are people checking in and reading this. I am still hoping to get a large amount in here so I am no as much of a burden on my family and friends that come to help me after my transplant. So Please keep up all the jhelp you are all sending in.You all have my greatest thanks.God Bless you all
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December 19, 2016
I love you Bobbi and I pray that you will reach your goal and get your transplant so you can enjoy life better. God Bless You with the best life ever.
Linda Nay
