As some of you may know, I’ve been dealing with end-stage renal disease since 1998. I received my first transplant in 1999 and was doing well. Then last year my immune system began to overwhelm the immunosuppressant medicine that I had long been on. While that sounds really bad, the kidney transplant actually lasted much longer than it should have and longer than the average.
I’ve been on dialysis since May of 2012 and, while that is a treatment, it is, at best, only a temporary solution. Sadly, the best possible treatment is another transplant. I have been evaluated and placed on the active transplant list as part of the “paired donation program” with my sister, Justin Agee. This program assists donor and recipient pairs who are incompatible or poorly matched in finding another donor and recipient pair with whom they can exchange kidneys to enable better matching, allowing a transplant to take place.
Even with insurance, I will have many uninsured transplant-related expenses such as: co-pays and deductibles, doctor visits, and the costly immunosuppressant medications that I will need to take for the rest of my life. It is expected that I may need at least $20,000. This presents a financial challenge I cannot meet alone. With your help, I can get there.
To help with this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in my 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 Great Lakes Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.Thank you in advance for your support.
Jason Schneder
