Janice Smith

Help Janice Get a Kidney Transplant

Janice Smith, my mom, has known for many years that she would eventually need a kidney transplant. Prior to my grandfather’s death she learned that she had inherited his polycystic kidney disease. In 1980 Janice and her four siblings were tested and she was the only one that inherited the disease. She has worked very hard to take care of her overall health to prolong her kidney function. Now, her doctors at Legacy Hospital in Portland have told her that she needs a kidney transplant in order to survive.

My mom was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and spent her married years in the Midwest. After a long-term marriage, she was divorced and returned to California where she attended Shasta College and graduated with an AA degree. Following the birth of my children, Mom moved to Wisconsin to be close to her family. She worked for the Wisconsin School for the Blind for five years and retired in 2012. At that time, Mom felt it was a great opportunity to pursue her lifelong passion of missions and headed to Mexico. Her hope for the future is to continue helping with mission endeavors following her transplant.

After many years of helping others she is now the one who needs our help. Transplantation and follow-up medications and treatments are very expensive. Even with Medicare coverage, there are co-pays and deductibles, and the costly anti-rejection medications she will have to take for the rest of her life. Additionally, I will be tested to see if I am a match for a living donor transplant. If I am a match, I will be flying to Portland to be a living donor. All of this presents a financial challenge my mom and I cannot meet without your help.

To help offset such expenses, a fundraising campaign in Janice’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive. To make a tax-deductible donation to this campaign, click Donate Now.

If we all work together we can make Janice’s prospects for a future much brighter. Thank you for your prayers, support and generosity.

Gratefully,

Karen Woodland
Janice’s daughter