Emily Progin, PR and Communications Coordinator
eprogin@helphopelive.org / 800.642.8399
Release: Immediate
SEPT 10 4X4 RIDE IN BRIDGEPORT TO HELP LOCAL TEEN GET A KIDNEY
Rally to Support 15-Year-Old Wes Smith and His Family
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va.—On Saturday, September 10, ride for a cause at the Warrior Wes Wheelin Ride starting at 10 a.m. Reep Graphics (34 Keystone Drive, Bridgeport, WV 26330). Register for just $20 per 4×4 vehicle and take the route through Kingsville Tunnel, ending at a cookout at Audra Park Pavilion in Buckhannon. All funds raised will go to the nonprofit Help Hope Live in honor of Wade “Wes” Smith, a local teen who is fundraising for a life-saving kidney transplant.
Wes is a 15-year-old who was born with the rare genetic disorder Williams Syndrome and without a right hand. The diagnosis led to multiple surgeries and developmental delays—Wes did not walk until he was four years old. The diagnosis also makes Wes appear much younger than he is, resembling a 10- or 11-year-old in height.
Wes was suddenly diagnosed with kidney failure in November 2011. In 2015, he received a life-saving kidney transplant through a selfless living donor. Unfortunately, Wes’s body eventually rejected the kidney. Today, he needs another kidney transplant to stay healthy.
Despite all his health challenges, Wes’s family says the teen has “an upbeat personality, a ready smile, and an infectious laugh that have captivated all who know him.”
Wes’s family is committed to doing everything they can to save and improve Wes’s life. However, even with insurance, a second kidney transplant is an immense financial burden. Post-transplant, Wes will also have to take expensive anti-rejection medications for the lifetime of the kidney.
That’s why Wes’s loving community is partnering with the national nonprofit Help Hope Live for trusted medical fundraising. Donations can be made at https://helphopelive.org/campaign/3555/
Funds raised through the September 10 ride will go directly to the nonprofit in Wes’s honor.
Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be managed by the nonprofit to cover verified medical and related expenses. Help Hope Live verifies medical and financial need for every patient.
Help Hope Live is a national nonprofit that specializes in engaging communities in secure, tax-deductible fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness. Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised over $165 million to pay patient expenses. ###
Written by Emily Progin
