As many of you already know, for almost seven years our son Steven Simmons has endured multiple health problems due to his underdeveloped kidneys. Steven is now in end stage renal failure. He has been courageously fighting to stay alive by receiving dialysis treatments, three times a week, 4 hours a day, for the last seven years. This has taken its toll on Steven’s body. He has had to be in the hospital time and time again. We are told his best hope now for a long and healthy life is to receive a kidney transplant.

The doctors at Integris Baptist Medical Center have completed Steven’s extensive evaluation and determined he is a good candidate for a transplant. However, due to the extraordinary expense of transplantation as well as Steven’s inability to work, funding his life-saving operation is a monumental task. Despite having Medicare, many of his medical needs are not covered and must be paid out-of-pocket. Steven will need $5,000 dollars just for the doctors to do the transplant and thousands of dollars for his lifelong immunosuppressant medications. Travel and relocation costs are also a big expense. This will be impossible for Steven to achieve on his own.

This is where you can make a difference in Steven’s life. To help offset his uninsured costs, a fund raising campaign in Steven’s honor has been established with HelpHopeLive (formerly NTAF), a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for nearly 30 years. All contributions are tax deductible, are held by HelpHopeLive in the South-Central Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHopeLive for transplant-related expenses only. You can make a difference in Steven’s life. Please consider making an end-of-year tax deductible contribution.Together we can make a difference by assisting Steven during this difficult time. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support.