Jonathan Graebner

We are happy to announce Jon successfully received his new kidney on January 22, 2014. His living donor is the girlfriend of his cousin. The Graebner family is so blessed by the selfless act of Ms. Bethany Votaw! (see picture of Jon and Bethany in Jon’s Photo Album)

Jon has been able to return to work after three months medical leave. His recovery path is a critical one, and he is seen by the Tampa General Transplant team bi-weekly to ensure the new kidney is still responding well and that the anti-rejection medications are doing their job!

Jon’s insurance has helped with some of the costs of this life-saving surgery, but he still has many uninsured, transplant-related expenses such as: co-pays and deductibles for both his and Bethany’s surgeries, doctor visits and the costly immunosuppressant medications that he will need to take for the rest of his life. Tampa General has estimated Jon’s out-of-pocket expenses just for the transplant will be $10,000, plus another $10,000 to cover some of the first-year medications. These expenses don’t end after the first year — they are life-long. This presents a financial challenge that Jon and I cannot meet alone.

To help with this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in Jon’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, 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, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Southeast Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. You can help make a difference in Jon’s life. Please consider making a contribution by clicking the DONATE NOW button.

Together we can make a difference by assisting Jon during this difficult time, and thank you in advance for your generosity and support.

Sincerely,

Deana Graebner
Jon’s wife, [email protected]