May 5th, 2019 is a day that I’ll never forget. My wife, Dionne, and I had gone to the plant nursery the day before and I was tired. Significantly more than usual. But, it was Cinco de Mayo so I decided that I’d make the effort and wake up early because the plan for the day was to get the new shrubs planted before joining in on the holiday festivities. We were heading out to get some dirt when my cell phone rang. My wife’s doctor was calling me (which was weird, especially on a Sunday morning). She had made an appointment with her doctor because I hadn’t been feeling well. He asked all the normal questions and performed a physical along with a complete blood work-up. To my surprise, he called and urged me to quickly get to an emergency room because my creatine levels were more than he’d ever seen, and he was afraid that I wouldn’t wake up the next day. In that moment, my life changed. I had no idea what creatinine levels were, but it scared me so badly that I couldn’t finish speaking to Dr. Gardner. I handed the phone to my wife and she took all the information down that he instructed for her to take and give to the nearest ER. I was immediately admitted to the hospital, diagnosed with stage 4 kidney disease and had my first surgery so that I could begin peritoneal dialysis a few days after I was admitted.
Since then, I’ve been on both peritoneal dialysis and a chest port (I’d developed a hernia and needed to wait until it was healed to begin peritoneal dialysis again). I do this every night for 9.5 hours in order to flush toxins from my body. Otherwise, I cannot live. I’m often extremely tired and need to miss work but I try to keep my spirits high with the help of my family. I have had to change my diet completely, which hasn’t been easy because it excludes many healthy foods from my diet that the normal healthy person can consume. I have even had to change how much I can drink as my fluid intake is limited to only 32 ounces per day. Without a donor, I run the risk of my arteries calcifying, which would kill my chances of ever receiving a transplant and simply put, dying. Kidney disease is real. I must get blood work regularly, epigone and iron shots to boost my red blood cells.
I have always lived a positive and fun filled life even before my chronic condition. I live for my family. My positive attitude has many people in disbelief that I am in need of a kidney. Right now, I have under 2% of kidney function. They don’t tell you that this disease can change everyday activities and how much of a financial burden it can be. I am thankful my wife has great health insurance; but even with that, my monthly dialysis and medications costs are astronomical. If she ever lost her insurance, there is no way I’d be able to afford dialysis treatment or pay for the medications needed to keep me healthy enough to go through dialysis. Even after a transplant, medications can be as much as $1,000 per month for just a few of the medications. I am in desperate need of a kidney transplant, living or otherwise to regain my life.
Your tax deductible donation to Help Hope Live will help ease the financial burden of high medical bills for treatments that aren’t covered 100% by insurance and allow me to focus on a healthy recovery and, God willing, a long life ahead with my wife, and our four children, Derrick, Dezmon, Hadiyah and Brooklyn.
We are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with transplantation.
We chose to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the GIVE button. And please share this page with your friends and family so they may consider a donation.
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Help Hope Live
Note in memo:
In honor of Alteric Criss
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Help Hope Live
2 Radnor Corporate Center
Suite 100
100 Matsonford Road
Radnor, PA 19087
For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.
Thank you for your support!
