Ivy Jennings Smith, better known as Gigi to her three granddaughters, is very ill. A kidney transplant is her only hope for survival after years of struggling with kidney disease. Ivy, who is one of the warmest and most loving people you’d ever hope to meet, needs your help, because the cost of a transplant is overwhelming.
Ivy is the proud mother of two sons; Jamie who is 31 years old and Terrell who is 29. As a divorced single mom, she worked hard to provide for her boys, ensuring they would attend the best schools and thrive in academics and sports. For 14 years she was an employee of Bell South/AT&T until one fateful day in August of 2003, when it all came to a screeching halt. She left work feeling cold and sluggish and thought she had the flu but Ivy’s mom insisted she go to the ER. Several tests and three blood transfusions later, doctors where no closer to determining what ailed her. They prepared the family for the worst, believing she wouldn’t make it through. Since that time, she has been on and off dialysis. Once Ivy was feeling stronger after this initial episode, she was hired at the Jefferson County Board of Education and for eight years pushed through until her health declined and dialysis started again. To stay active on her days off from treatment, Ivy volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House.
In time, Ivy was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called thrombotic thrombocytopenic puora or TTP which often leads to renal failure and, in Ivy’s case, problems with her vision. Fortunately, Ivy is on the active transplant waiting list locally at UAB and also Emory and the University of Jackson Medical Center. She hopes to be listed at Tulane as well by summer 2016. Though she has Medicare, Ivy is facing very high expenses including travel, relocation closer to the hospital, anti-rejection medications she will need to take for the rest of her life, co-pays and more. This is a challenge she cannot face alone.
To help with the financial burden of Ivy’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in her honor has been established with Help Hope Live, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law, are held by Help Hope Live in the Southeast Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only. Please, consider a contribution.
For credit card contributions,please click the yellow Donate Now button.
Ivy cherishes time with her granddaughters; 9 ½ year old Kennedi, Kari who is 8 ½ and Skylar is just 7 months. She hopes there will be many more days spent with them but, throughout this challenging journey, Ivy and her family’s faith in God has remained strong and she prays for another miracle in her life. Thank you in advance for your prayers and support. Each and every donation will help.
With sincere gratitude,
Dorothy Avery (close friend of Ivy’s)
205-368-4282
