Help Hope Live for Stephanie Gutridge

Steph had just turned 18 years old when she unexpectedly went into kidney failure. Sent to emergency surgery and then dialysis, she spent several days in ICU. Steph then spent the next two and a half years trying to live her life while on dialysis. Following hours of online research, the summer of 1999 proved to be an incredible time in Steph’s life. She was accepted into a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda MD. This open door gave her the chance of a normal life with a kidney transplant like none other. Her brother was a match and surgery was scheduled for Sept. of 1999. Although the new procedure was not successful, Steph had a new kidney and was ready to move on with life. Two years later, after concerns with her kidney function, new tests revealed that she had a blood disease. This disease damages the filters of the kidney till it no longer functions. Her transplant was failing and the doctors knew of no cure. It was just a matter of time till she’d need another transplant. Now, that time has come. Steph needs a new kidney. Her doctor is no longer with NIH, but has transferred to Emery Hospital in Atlanta, GA. She will need to travel from Oregon to Georgia for the transplant surgery. As you can imagine there will be many costs involved. Insurance will only cover so much. We’re estimating that uninsured, medically-related expenses will be somewhere around $60,000. The Lord has had us on this pathway for many years and it’s never easy to ask for help and now is certainly no exception. We deeply appreciate the prayers, support and love that all our family and friends have given us over the years. We have much to do to make this happen and we know we can’t do it without the Lord and your prayers and encouragement.