In May 2016, our mom, Susan Ellingsen, had an adverse reaction to a medication and was hospitalized to reduce the swelling. During her stay, she developed a blood infection and lost the function of her kidneys. She began hemodialysis emergently and has since become stabilized on dialysis. However, this treatment is full of risks and we were told that life expectancy on dialysis is one to five years. Mom’s best option to be around for her grandchildren (the loves of her life!) is transplantation.

Those who know mom (and feel free to share by guestbook messages on this page), know that she lived her life to raise her four children, two of whom had extensive medical issues. She put in endless sleepless nights and dealt with hospital stays and heartbreak to see her children through. Mom has always been a mom to more than her own children. She made our home a place where all our friends wanted to come and they felt comfortable and safe. Mom lovingly raised her kids and moved on to care for the elderly and work as a teacher’s aide at an elementary school. Mom never wanted to get the help, she wanted to be the help. Now we are asking for support for this amazing woman that has given her life to serving others.

Transplants are life-saving but financially draining. Even with insurance, mom is facing very high out-of-pocket expenses. For example, post-transplant medications and follow-up testing alone are estimated at $20,000. Such expenses are more than she can handle, complicated by the fact she had to leave her job to focus on her health. The transplant center will not move forward with the transplant process until sufficient funds are raised to insure her ability to take her daily regimen of anti-rejection meds and attend all follow up appointments and labs. Unquestionably, our family is committed to seeing mom through this process. We are nevertheless up against a challenge we cannot meet alone.