Josh originally got sick in the early 90s. After the initial ordeal was over, his health has been fairly stable for nearly two decades. His kidney disease moved from a previously stable Stage 2 to Stage 4 Severe within a year. He is going through the steps to start dialysis which is a huge leap in the advancement of his kidney failure.
Dialysis is life support and isn’t a solution to the real problem. Josh is the sole provider for his family. His wife, Emily, has been fortunate enough to stay home for
the past five years to raise their two sons. Lincoln is 5 and Oliver is 2. Both boys are more than obsessed with their Daddy and imitate everything he does. Josh needs a healthy, new kidney to live, but more than that, he needs to be here to love and lead Emily, Lincoln and Oliver.
Because Josh is the sole breadwinner, their income will be significantly affected by his transplant. He will receive short term disability for the 3-5 months he will be recovering but it won’t be enough to cover their regular bills and expenses, not to mention the additional medical costs they will incur. The Kestners don’t have a lavish lifestyle and have cut out or reduced as many things as they can from their budget. They have been working very hard to fundraise on their own. Now that they are partnering with Help Hope Live, they hope to expand their reach and fundraising opportunities. Because Help Hope Live is not for profit, your donation is tax deductible! Help Hope Live directly pays eligible bills and expenses which helps the Kestners have less on their plate post transplant and helps you
be assured your donation is being used in the wisest ways possible.

First and foremost, the Kestners covet your prayers. Secondly, will you consider getting tested to be a match? Josh is O+ but the Paired Donation Program allows willing living donors to be paired with another patient and a different donor paired
with Josh. The average wait time for an O+ recipient in Indiana is 8-10 years! Josh really needs a transplant before then. Next, and requiring less commitment, it would be a substantial help if you would donate money to cover the gap in their
weekly budget. Josh will need to visit the hospital 2-3 days a week for testing. He is currently listed with IU Health in Indianapolis. Gas alone is going to be a huge addition to their costs. Josh won’t be able to drive and requires 24 hour
supervision in case his body rejects his new kidney. He also can’t care for the boys by himself until he is fully healed. He will need to be on a special diet that will require more work and cleaner, more expensive foods. Emily has already started switching over to less toxic cleaning and body products but as many toxins as possible need to be removed from their home. All of that, plus a whole lot more, costs money. His new kidney needs to be protected at all costs!
Your donation, no matter how small, helps a great deal.