Dear Family & Friends,
UPDATE: We’re so grateful that the kidney is doing well. After 25+ surgeries and procedures, Jim’s abdomen however is plagued with hernias and his teeth have been ravished by kidney disease. We’re very thankful for the support and reluctantly must continue to fundraise. Every donation helps and every dollar of your tax deductible donation on HHL goes to medical and dental expenses. We also have Ivy’s Cookbook getting rave reviews and still available for sale on Facebook. Thank you for all your love and kindness! Jim is a warrior and the journey for healing continues.
STORY: As many of you know, my husband Jim has been battling end stage renal disease since he was 18. Despite his illness, Jim worked hard for 30 years and had a successful career in sales. Just three months after we married in 2006, a medication error caused his kidneys to fail completely. Despite every effort to treat it, Jim’s symptoms worsened and he became fully disabled and bed-ridden. Jim began dialysis and joined the transplant waiting list. For the last four years, Jim diligently spent 10 hours per night hooked to a dialysis machine.
Jim never lost his determination and positive attitude. Thankfully, on April 16, 2013 the long-awaited call to save his life came – he received a kidney transplant! It was a sad day for the donor family, but they chose to give the gift of life and we are eternally grateful. The transplant was a great success and Jim’s new kidney is functioning extremely well.
Jim’s motivation has always been his loving family and friends. Our family has been working tirelessly to pay for his treatment and insurance premiums. Even with insurance, medications and frequent appointments in Fort Worth costs thousands per month. Transplant aftercare is extremely critical to maintaining Jim’s health – we make the 120 mile round-trip to Fort Worth three days per week for his follow-up appointments at the transplant hospital. We have always faced every challenge as a family, cheering each other on with our rally-cry of “Team Spina!”, but this current financial challenge is one we cannot meet without your help.
To help with this burden, a fundraising campaign in Jim’s 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 South-Central Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. To make a contribution click DONATE NOW above or:Your gift would help us manage the costs of treatment so Jim can continue to recover and achieve a new quality of life he has never known. Thank you for joining and supporting Team Spina!
Sincerely,
Anna Lucchesi-Spina
214-676-3175 / jimannaspina@yahoo.com
Updates (13)
August 20, 2017
Many procedures later but we're still going strong! Jim has been steadfast and has a great attitude. We're hoping that this latest procedure will be the permanent fix we've been hoping for. Thanks for all the support, love and well wishes!
December 23, 2015
Jim's new kidney is doing well. All of the surgeries (17 to date) over 3 yrs and medication changes have taken their toll but Jim continues face each challenge with a positive attitude. We appreciate all your support; it really helps with bills from 4 hospitals and countless doctors so we can better afford his costly transplant meds. They are still changing his meds, each which comes with new round of side effects. Jim is so resilient and we look forward to a healthier 2016!
Photo Galleries (4)
Guestbook
July 4, 2019
Thank you to all who shopped the Stella & Dot Shop for a Cause event! Your purchase made this contribution possible.
Monique Ramos
June 24, 2019
Sending much love to you both
Heather Harris
May 27, 2019
Here's to continued life and love!
Lorea Seidel
