It was only a year and a half into our marriage and after a series of struggles and emotional setbacks, our lives finally seemed to be coming together the way we hoped. I was 6 months pregnant and were about to start looking for our first house. Then suddenly everything changed. In 2017, my husband Aaron was hospitalized for pneumonia and sepsis, was rushed into emergency surgery and put into a medically induced coma. I was told by the doctor that if he made through to the morning, he would most likely survive. It was the longest and most terrifying night of my life. Thankfully he did survive that long night, but little did we know that it was only the beginning.
Aaron was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, a reoccurring liver disease that he had survived once before after his first liver transplant in 1989, when he was just 4 years old. We were told he would eventually need another transplant, but he would have to wait until he was basically on his deathbed before he could receive it.
Over the years his disease slowly progressed but he was never put on the transplant list because his illness wasn’t critical enough. We grew more anxious with each passing year, with each new or worsening symptom. How long would we have to wait and how bad would it get before he was “sick enough” to get his transplant? We were also experiencing bouts of serious financial hardship and went into debt just trying to survive. Aaron required excellent health insurance just to cover his expensive medications, but it still wasn’t enough to cover his regular procedures, diagnostics, and frequent specialists visits, and so the medical bills began piling up. It seemed that the constant stress that had become our lives would never cease.
When last year, following a couple of particularly rough hospitalizations, we were told he was eligible for a live donor transplant. This was amazing news because that meant he could get his surgery as soon as we found the right donor and while he was still healthy enough to undergo such a massive surgery! Fast forward to a year later, we now have 2 potential donors and an expected timeframe of a few months until his surgery. We have come so far and experienced so much during this difficult journey, but Aaron has remained strong and surprisingly healthy throughout this journey. Since this will be the first expected hospitalization, we are trying to minimize the stress by preparing for his surgery and long recovery period. The past 8 years have shown us that financial difficulties are one of the most stressful aspects of Aaron’s complicated health journey. This is why we are starting a fundraising campaign with Help Hope Live to help us cover the expenses that insurance does not cover. If you are able, please make a donation and share this page with your community.
Thank you and we appreciate you your support!
