Jennifer Stiles

Please Help Jennifer Get a Transplant

Dear Family and Friends,
My daughter Jennifer was born with multiple birth defects, and two of her main health concerns growing up were polycystic kidney disease and chronic pancreatitis. The first twelve years of Jennifer’s life were spent in and out of hospitals for treatments and undergoing a total of twenty surgeries throughout her life.

Through all of this Jennifer went to school, sometimes home schooling in the hospital so she could keep up with peers. She was dedicated to focusing most of her energy on school; she has a lifelong love of education.

At just 12 years old, Jennifer went into kidney failure and had to begin dialysis. Luckily, Jennifer and I were a blood match and she was able to receive her first kidney transplant from me six months after starting dialysis. Unfortunately, due to some of the medications for her transplant she formed an abscess that forced her doctors to remove her spleen and part of her pancreas. Due to this complication Jennifer became a type 1 diabetic.

Still, she was able to return to school and was a normal boy band loving, chatty, energetic teenager who loved theatre and dance. She continued to excel in school and graduated with an advanced diploma and cords in the performing arts.
After some time off she went on to attend UNLV to major in journalism with a minor in women studies and creative writing, all while volunteering at the local women’s center.

Sadly, within the last year we received news that after 14 successful years, Jennifer’s kidney has failed and she will need a new kidney along with a new pancreas. Jennifer keeps involved with friends and activities despite her illness and cannot wait to get back to school and volunteer work.

We have been very lucky that Jennifer has three donors being tested; however this transplant will be extremely expensive. Even with insurance, there will be countless doctor visits, insurance premiums, travel to and from the transplant center, and the costly immunosuppressant medications Jennifer will have to take for the rest of her life.

To ease this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in Jennifer’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 Southwest Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.Thank you in advance for your generosity and support.
Sincerely,
Karen Stiles
(Jennifer’s Mother)
702-219-6942