Save Collins
Donation protected
One of NOVICA's beloved artisans in Ghana is very sick. Collins Korle has Chronic Kidney Disease and is in desperate need of a kidney transplant or dialysis. Collins has two young children and a large extended family who love him. Unfortunately, Collins cannot afford the medical care he needs to survive.
At NOVICA, our artists and our customers are family. Life is unfair sometimes and he is a good man. While we can't buy his health back, we can help him extend his days. As a big NOVICA family, we can rally behind Collins and show him how much we love and support him.
The Need:
Collins needs dialysis three times a week to keep him alive. Dialysis simulates what kidneys are supposed to do. With dialysis, Collins stands a good chance of living a decent life. Without dialysis, Collins will get increasingly weak and sick until he succumbs to the disease.
The Cost:
When we started this campaign in April, Collins needed $15,912 a year purely for his dialysis and lab tests at the local Korlebu Renal Unit. In mid-June, he was accepted into a new and much more affordable clinic which is cutting his costs by about a third. He now needs $6,500 a year to survive.
Currently, each session of dialysis costs $30 at a clinic suggested to us by the wonderful people at DaVita Village Trust. He needs two of these sessions a week, as well as at least one lab test a month (sometimes two) which costs $110.
Add these costs together (plus the cost of blood transfusions and a few related medical procedures) - he needs approximately $6,500 a year.
Save Collins:
Early in April, we surprised Collins with nearly $1,000 USD. Collins' fellow artists donated some money, and NOVICA's Ghana office donated the remaining amount as part of that region's Happiness Project.
Collins was so overcome with emotion, he cried. We cried too.
Collins had racked up quite a bit of debt at the hospital, which prevented him from receiving dialysis. With the donated money, Collins paid off his previous medical bills and started dialysis again.
It Takes a Village:
We need your help. We want to help Collins live to see his children grow up. Each dialysis treatment he receives extends his life.
Can you consider sponsoring one of his dialysis treatments? What about half of one, or even a whole weeks worth?
Another option is buying his jewelry. While Collins is too sick to work right now, he has helpers who are continuing to produce beautiful rings and bracelets. Collins has set his own price, and the money from the jewelry will go to him as well. You can purchase his products here .
A critical component of this campaign to save Collins will be social media. Please consider sharing this GoFundMe link with your friends.
It's going to take a village to help Collins.
Other Medical Options:
Ultimately, Collins needs a kidney transplant. We've been talking with kidney centers here in the US and they all told us this very complicated process needs to begin in Ghana. We tried getting him on international kidney lists and while that may be feasible, it needs to come from his doctors in Ghana. The kidney centers in the US also say that it is entirely possible Collins is too far along in the disease to be able to receive a new kidney. Unfortunately, there is not much we have been able to do here in the US to help him with this process. If you have any suggestions, please let us know.
Disclaimer and Contact Information:
We are not medical experts, however our Ghana Regional Director, Kwabena Darko, has personally verifed the information Collins has provided us with. Collins did not reach out to us - Kwabena reached out to him, asking how NOVICA's family can help.
For more information or suggestions on how to help Collins, please contact Happiness Project coordinator Sarah Grooters at: [email redacted]
At NOVICA, our artists and our customers are family. Life is unfair sometimes and he is a good man. While we can't buy his health back, we can help him extend his days. As a big NOVICA family, we can rally behind Collins and show him how much we love and support him.
The Need:
Collins needs dialysis three times a week to keep him alive. Dialysis simulates what kidneys are supposed to do. With dialysis, Collins stands a good chance of living a decent life. Without dialysis, Collins will get increasingly weak and sick until he succumbs to the disease.
The Cost:
When we started this campaign in April, Collins needed $15,912 a year purely for his dialysis and lab tests at the local Korlebu Renal Unit. In mid-June, he was accepted into a new and much more affordable clinic which is cutting his costs by about a third. He now needs $6,500 a year to survive.
Currently, each session of dialysis costs $30 at a clinic suggested to us by the wonderful people at DaVita Village Trust. He needs two of these sessions a week, as well as at least one lab test a month (sometimes two) which costs $110.
Add these costs together (plus the cost of blood transfusions and a few related medical procedures) - he needs approximately $6,500 a year.
Save Collins:
Early in April, we surprised Collins with nearly $1,000 USD. Collins' fellow artists donated some money, and NOVICA's Ghana office donated the remaining amount as part of that region's Happiness Project.
Collins was so overcome with emotion, he cried. We cried too.
Collins had racked up quite a bit of debt at the hospital, which prevented him from receiving dialysis. With the donated money, Collins paid off his previous medical bills and started dialysis again.
It Takes a Village:
We need your help. We want to help Collins live to see his children grow up. Each dialysis treatment he receives extends his life.
Can you consider sponsoring one of his dialysis treatments? What about half of one, or even a whole weeks worth?
Another option is buying his jewelry. While Collins is too sick to work right now, he has helpers who are continuing to produce beautiful rings and bracelets. Collins has set his own price, and the money from the jewelry will go to him as well. You can purchase his products here .
A critical component of this campaign to save Collins will be social media. Please consider sharing this GoFundMe link with your friends.
It's going to take a village to help Collins.
Other Medical Options:
Ultimately, Collins needs a kidney transplant. We've been talking with kidney centers here in the US and they all told us this very complicated process needs to begin in Ghana. We tried getting him on international kidney lists and while that may be feasible, it needs to come from his doctors in Ghana. The kidney centers in the US also say that it is entirely possible Collins is too far along in the disease to be able to receive a new kidney. Unfortunately, there is not much we have been able to do here in the US to help him with this process. If you have any suggestions, please let us know.
Disclaimer and Contact Information:
We are not medical experts, however our Ghana Regional Director, Kwabena Darko, has personally verifed the information Collins has provided us with. Collins did not reach out to us - Kwabena reached out to him, asking how NOVICA's family can help.
For more information or suggestions on how to help Collins, please contact Happiness Project coordinator Sarah Grooters at: [email redacted]
Organizer and beneficiary
Sarah Grooters
Organizer
Santa Monica, CA
Robert Sovinsky
Beneficiary
