October 23, 2017

Friends and Family of Jennifer Kershner (Formerly Jennifer Clontz)
We are asking for your help.

As many of you already know, Jen is a vibrant 47 year old woman, who has been suffering with end-stage Renal Disease for the last 7 years. She is currently receiving dialysis three times a week and has been told that her only chance for a normal life is to undergo a kidney/pancreas transplant. Jen is on the waiting list at Hershey/Penn State Medical Center in Hershey, Pa, the list at UPMC Transplant Services in Pittsburgh Pa and undergoing testing to be put on the waiting list at Lehigh Valley Transplant Center.

Jen grew up in Montoursville, Pennsylvania and spent her entire life here with her family. She graduated from Montoursville Area High School in 1989. Jen currently had to stop working at her job, where she was employed for over 10 years, due to the physical limitations that her body is enduring.

Jen has 4 children, with the youngest being 17 years old. She also has one grandchild who is 3 years old. Jen married her true soul mate, Duke, in September 2016. Jen cannot wait to receive her transplant, so that she can participate more freely in family activities, and go on a long-awaited honeymoon to Hawaii with her husband Duke. Jen would also like to watch her youngest daughter graduate high school, then college, plus see her only grandchild grow up!

Funding this life saving procedure is a monumental task, as there will be many medical expenses not covered by health insurance. Jen will have many uninsured, transplant-related expenses such as: co-pays, deductibles, doctor visits and the costly immunosuppressant medications that she will need to take for the rest of her life. Jen will also have to stay local to the hospital for about a month, so there will be the cost of lodging while she recovers, as she is cared for daily by the hospitals transplant team. Jen has been told that she will need to raise $40,000 for these expenses — this is a financial challenge that the family cannot meet alone.

We hope blessings are passed on to you and we thank you for your support and generosity during this difficult time.

Sincerely;
The Family of Jennifer Kershner

October 23, 2017

Jen received the call today that she was accepted onto the transplant list at UPMC Transplant Services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.