Our kids keep us pretty busy but I do enjoy playing video games and working on the computer when I have time. I also love fishing but barely have the energy to do that anymore. In the past, when my health was better, I used to raise funds for local organizations through charity haunted houses as Phantoms Haunted House. I am a CAD/CAM programmer but am not currently working
When I was a young adult, doctors found cysts on my kidneys during an ultrasound and I was told I had Polycystic Kidney Disease. I was informed that it usually doesn’t cause problems until later in life so I took note of it and went back to living my life. I eventually got high blood pressure and started medication to lower it. I was otherwise healthy, though.
This all changed in 2018 when I got really sick and felt short of breath. I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure caused by the high blood pressure that was difficult to treat with medication. I started new medication and stabilized after a few months, returning to a mostly normal life besides having to eat a heart-healthy diet, take medications, and sometimes take life a bit slower.
In the spring of 2023, I got worse again. I was hospitalized because my heart was not beating correctly – atrial fibrillation. I went through cardioversion and my heart was shocked into a normal rhythm. I was then referred to Froedtert’s Advanced Care Center to be evaluated for heart transplant. During this time, we also found out that my kidneys were so filled with cysts that the normal parts of a kidney couldn’t even be seen on an ultrasound. I was told I was in Stage 4 of Chronic Kidney Disease and getting close to Stage 5 – End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
In January 2024 I was evaluated for dual heart and kidney transplant at Froedtert Hospital. During the required testing, it was determined that my kidneys are so large due to Polycystic Kidney Disease that they will have to be removed (nephrectomy) in order to put a transplanted kidney in. The doctors are unable to do this surgery along with a dual heart and kidney transplant so this would force the transplants to be separated or staged. I would wait for a heart transplant and begin dialysis if it is needed before a heart is found for me. After transplant, I would need to heal for a few months and then I could get a nephrectomy and kidney transplant at the same time. Doctors have told me that a living donor kidney would provide the best outcomes for me as it is healthier and more likely to last longer.
I am now searching for a living kidney donor. If you would like to learn more about donating a kidney, please visit my website at www.givelifetomichael.com.
As you can imagine, the costs of two transplants and the medical care I am going to need is very high. I am unable to work while getting these transplants and getting healthy again. So, we’re reaching out to family, friends, and the community. Please consider donating to help us through this difficult time so I am able to get better and see my children grow and get back to doing the things that I love.
Thank you,
Michael
Family and friends of Michael Otten are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with transplantation.
Michael has chosen 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.
For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.
Thank you for your support!
