Its a Match!

"Every year, hundreds of Canadians die while waiting for an organ transplant. With over 4,300 people in Canada waiting for a transplant right now and only a fraction of Canadians registered as donors."

"The living donor rate is decreasing in Canada over the years even though research results indicate that living organ donation may offer better health outcomes." 
-Government of Canada

My name is Jessica Robichaud and I created this gofundme account to raise money for myself and my brother for the costs associated with the out of pocket expenses during this process...

As of  October 2018 I discovered that as blood type O I could potentially be a living liver donor for my brother, since then I have been undergoing medical testing and on 26 Sept, 2019 I got the good news that I have been approved by London Health Sciences Center in London Ontario. Upon receiving the phone call, I informed my family and we began planning our future. LHSC is six hours from our home town and I am currently residing in eastern Alberta. I will be required to spend a week in London for pre-op, up to 10 days in the hospital post surgery and then approximately one month in assisted living followed by two to three months at home where family will assist in my recovery process. After I am cleared to go home I will be traveling back to Alberta to return to my normal lifestyle. 

My brother Erik resides in Sudbury, Ontario and will be required to stay in London, Ontario for a longer period of time  to ensure he is 100% before returning home, this means a longer stay in assisted living. Erik is married to his wife Rachel and they have two young children, Abby and Dominic. During his stay in London, Rachel is looking into renting an apartment where she can stay while he recovers Erik recovers, the kids will stay in the care of both sets of grandparents over the duration of this time. 

This is Erik's story...

My journey started out prior to being an adult. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 18, but symptoms became apparent long before that. After a brief hospital stay and care I was back to living a normal life on medication, no big deal. Life was great until the fall of 2003, when the medication that I came to depend on stopped working. In early 2004, I was left with one option. After trying many different medications, surgery to correct the colitis was the last resort. Surgery went well and I thought I was on the mend, but Primary Schlerosing Cholangitis (PSC) decided to make itself known. The bruising from surgery put me into liver failure. Thankfully I overcame that set back, but was listed for liver transplant. That was 15 years ago and I’ve dealt with a roller coaster of symptoms ranging from annoying to life threatening. I am a father of the two greatest children a father could ask for, and my wife is the best support I could hope for. My only chance to watch my children grow up is to get the gift of life, the gift of transplant.

"Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a liver disease in which the bile ducts (small tubes through which bile flows from the liver to the gallbladder and intestines) progressively decrease in size due to inflammation and scarring.  As a result, bile that is normally carried out of the liver accumulates within the liver, which then damages liver cells. The disease may sometimes be confined to the bile ducts within the liver but most often it also affects the large bile ducts outside the liver as well. 

Although primary sclerosing cholangitis has been considered a rare disease, recent studies suggest that it is more common than originally thought. The disease may occur alone but frequently exists in association with inflammatory diseases of the colon, such as chronic ulcerative colitis.  Primary sclerosing cholangitis affects both sexes but is more common in men. PSC is most often seen between the ages of 30 and 50.

At the present time, the exact cause is unknown. However, research has demonstrated that genetic changes play a role in this condition because it often occurs in several members of a family. Immediate family members of someone with primary sclerosing cholangitis have an increased risk of developing the condition. Viruses that are known to cause hepatitis have not been associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis. In many cases, PSC occurs in association with inflammatory bowel disease. This suggests that a common cause for both diseases may exist.  PSC may also coexist with another chronic liver disease called autoimmune hepatitis. This most often occurs in children and young adults."
-Canadian Liver Foundation

As of 30 Sept, 2019 there are 1,642 people on the waiting list to receive a transplant, 303 of those are awaiting a liver transplant in Ontario alone. 
-Trillium Gift of Life Network

Together we are reaching out for assistance throughout this whole process for ourselves but to also raise awareness to those unaware of how in dire need this country’s citizens are of organ donors. Erik is at the top of the list for B livers and therefore will still be accepting a donation if one comes available before our surgery date. The entire fund will go to Erik's family in this case.


Abby & Dominic
Jessica & Abby
Abby & Dominic
Abby & Rachel
Rachel, Abby, Erik, Dominic
Erik, Abby & Dominic