Ian Roberts is a native of Kinston North Carolina, but now resides in Greenville, North Carolina. Ian is in desperate need of a lifesaving kidney transplant. At the young age of 12, Ian was diagnosed with end-stage-renal-disease or kidney failure, and began a lengthy regimen of dialysis treatments. Since then, Ian underwent two successful kidney transplants; in 1986 while a sophomore in high school, and in 2004, 8 months before he would marry the love of his life, Cathy Brown. Unfortunately, Ian needs yet another kidney transplant, as he underwent surgery for an aortic valve replacement in 2014. While the surgery was a success, Ian’s transplanted kidney could not withstand the stress of the surgery and Ian once again had to return to dialysis after 10 years. Ian is now waiting for a new kidney, and although this can be a long process, he knows the benefits of a new kidney will enable him the freedom to get back to the things he loves, to work full time and to travel again with his wife.
Dialysis treatments and kidney surgery has been an obstacle for Ian, but it has not kept him from pursuing his educational goals. Over the years, he earned a degree in Information Systems, and worked as a Computer Lab Technician Assistant. Ian enrolled at North Carolina A & T State University in Greensboro, graduating with a BS in Electronic Technology with Computation. During this time, Ian worked as a Supervisor expressing his love of computers and his desire to help others to become more comfortable with computers and programming. In 2014, Ian began working for Compucom, allowing him to travel to various sites and use the computation skills he learned in school. More than ever, Ian is looking forward to a kidney transplant, so he can return to work full-time and continue his career and love for his work.
Transplants are life saving but financially draining. Even with health insurance, Ian is facing very high out-of-pocket expenses including co-pays and deductibles, insurance premiums, lab fees, travel and lodging expenses, the high cost of living, and costly post-transplant medications to halt rejection that are needed for the rest of his life. Ian will be expected to take an extended leave of absence from work once he receives his transplant, and more than ever needs your financial support!
To help with the financial burden of Ian’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in his 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 South-Atlantic Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only.
Ian has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility to the full extent allowed by law for donors. Donors can be sure that funds donated will be used only to pay or reimburse medically-related expenses. To make a donation to this fundraising campaign, please click on the yellow DONATE NOW button.
Thank you ahead of time for your thoughts, prayers and support. Any donation amount is one step closer to a brighter future for Ian. Please keep an eye on Ian’s campaign page, as we will be planning some fundraising events soon and posting updates regularly.
Gratefully,
Cathy Roberts, Ian’s loving wife
