YOU CAN HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Kimberly Hislop was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 15. As a young girl coming into adulthood she was forced not only to face the everyday challenges of being a teenager, but also with finding her way as a “diabetic teen.” During a time when everyone struggles to fit in, she had this added diagnosis to make her feel more isolated than most. The learning curve of taking care of herself and understanding her new lifestyle was a steep one.
Over the past 16 years, Kim has come to terms with living with diabetes and has actually embraced the diagnosis. She has committed herself to raising awareness of the complications that can occur when diabetes controls a person instead of the other way around. She started out by speaking to pharmacy students and has now been able to speak to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers about many complications she has faced throughout her life.
Last year, Kim’s body started to show signs of renal failure. Over the past six months her renal function has begun to rapidly decline. Her doctors have started the process of trying to find a living donor so that she can receive a kidney transplant as soon as possible. Kim, along with her friends and family are extremely hopeful that this will occur in the very near future. Kim is looking forward to continuing her studies at Union Institute and University, traveling, and spending time with her loved ones.
As with most things in life, a transplant comes at high price. Even though her insurance company will cover most of the procedure, there are hospital visits, caregiver expenses, travel expenses, and co pays for medications that she will need to take for the rest of her life that are not included. All of this presents a challenge Kim cannot meet without our support.
To help with these expenses, a fundraising campaign in Kim’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Northeast Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. At times like this, the help of family, friends and the community is crucial to ensure a successful outcome. Your financial gifts and prayers are greatly appreciated. If you are interested in organizing a fundraising event in honor of Kim please reach out to us!
Sincerely,
Ashley Child
(Kim’s Sister)
603-661-8457 / ashley.m.child@gmail.com