David McCulloch

Multiviasceral Transplant?? We had never heard of such a thing!

At age 21, David was diagnosed with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) a condition where pre-cancerous polyps grow rampantly in the digestive system. His colon was removed and he lived a full life, having a career, marriage and even running marathons. Then in 2010, the polyps began to take over other parts of his digestive system, requiring many surgeries, including a Whipple procedure and complete gastrectomy, all performed in the Boston area. In 2017, his medical condition was beyond what could be handled by the Boston hospitals. He was referred to Cleveland Clinic. where doctors operated to remove desmoid tumors that were threatening to shut down his digestive system. Since that surgery, David gets all his nutrition via TPN intravenous feeding. He must be connected to an IV for twelve hours every day.

The doctors at Cleveland brought up the possibility of a multi-visceral transplant. Multivisceral transplantation entails transplantation of the stomach, duodenum, pancreas, small intestine and liver. Cleveland Clinic is one of the only hospitals in the country that performs this very complicated transplant. Doctors said that David is a very good candidate! This life -altering surgery would allow David to get his nutrition from food. He would not be tethered to an IV for twelve hours a day. He could lead a normal life.

For the past year, David has been on total disability. His wife Lee has had to put her job and life on hold. The cost of flights and housing in Cleveland have already been significant. Once he goes on the transplant list, he must be within two hours of Cleveland Clinic; the surgery must happen very quickly when the organs become available. The wait for organs can be a month, six months, or a year. Post surgery, David would have to remain near the clinic for at least six months.

While David has health insurance, some transplant-related expenses, such as housing, transportation, and some anti-rejection drugs are not covered. The thought of leaving their home for possibly a year or more to start down this path is daunting, but the thought of David leading an normal active life and enjoying food again would be a miracle.

David and Lee’s family and friends have chosen to fundraise through Help Hope Live. Donations help fund uninsured medical expenses associated with transplantation.

Thank you for your support!