Please Save My Life!
Donation protected
Hello everyone and thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to look at my fundraiser.
My name is Joey. I am a 26 years old, soon to be 27. I live in Ohio near Cincinnati and Dayton. I am a wife, a daughter, a sister and a friend. I'm much like many of you out there.
But in 2007, my kidneys failed and my life changed forever. I tried an experimental treatment first that was tragically unsuccessful and in early 2008, I had no other choice but to go on dialysis.
After about a year, and meeting my now husband, Andrew, I regained function in 2009 and was released from treatment. Then after about 2 years, in 2011, I became very sick again and had to return to dialysis. I have been on treatment every since.
I have been seeking a transplant for some time now and I first tried to go to Ohio State University (OSU). Their transplant clinic was had a good reputation for success and was fairly close to my home. I went through a lot of testing with OSU, but when it came to the big decision to accept me or deny me this life-saving treatment, OSU turned me down. The grounds for their decision were stated to me over a conference call with my dialysis support team as this; I was too young, too depressed about my situation and too poor.
Now I know that this may seem outrageous, but it's true. As for the pyschologist, Dr. Kuntz, telling me that I was too young, I have no idea why she would say that to me and I can't explain it. I will clarify their other 2 reasons.
The first being that I was too depressed. At the time, I was on an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication. I was depressed because I don't want to be on dialysis. I feel like my life has been put on hold and I can't chase my dreams like I want to. I had a bright future with my acting career, I wanted to attend a college and study theatre. But I didn't get to graduate on time. I still obtained my high school diploma, it was just a few years later. Being on dialysis makes it very hard to have a job as well. I love to work. It makes me happy. And also, being on dialysis means that I can't start a family with my husband. We want children very much, but it's just not possible while I am this sick. These things weigh on my mind and on my heart. I am no longer on that medication and I am coping.
The second reason, I am too poor. When OSU said this what they meant was that I am too poor to pay for the ongoing antirejection medications that I will need for the rest of my life. Now, of course, I am on Medicare and Medicaid, which will pay for the entire surgery and transplant. However, in the State of Ohio, if you have been granted Medicare only because you are on dialysis, after you have been given a transplant, they cut off your insurance after 3 years of having the transplant. What that means is no more Medicare coverage to pay for your anti-rejection medications. These medications are very expensive costing as much as $1,400 for a one month's supply of just one of the medications you will need. Most transplant patients take 2 to 3 different anit-rejection medications. This cost is astronomical. However, if you can claim Disability for a different condition outside of your Renal condition, you can keep your insurance and it will continue to pay for your medications for the rest of your life. Now I was unsure of whether I had Medicare due to disability or due to dialysis. I gave all of the necessary paperwork to OSU, every document that I had, including my Medicare card. Everything needed to be able to tell me whether or not I had Medicare due to my disability or dialysis. Now the reason they turned me away was because they believed I wouldn't be able to afford the medicines after the 3 year cut off of my insurance because they believed I only had Medicare due to dialysis. And ever since then, I have had a heavy heart and a sense of dread about not being able to afford these medicines. And if I couldn't afford them that would just mean that the kidney I was given would be rejected, fail and I would end up back on dialysis. So OSU denied me based majorly on my financial status and based on what they concluded was my type of Medicare.
I decided to try again at a different transplant clinic. A bigger, highly recommended clinic. I went to Cleveland Clinic. It's quite the drive but it was definitely worth it. I had a day long appointment on October 1st, 2015. I went with my husband, Andrew, and my adopted brother, Jonathan. Their entire process was different and vastly more professional. The handled much of the testing within the same day. I met the entire transplant team and spoke with them personal and in length. They met my support people too. The entire team was welcoming and warm, I really feel like they care. And the best part, the social worker took one look at my Medicare card and told me that I won't lose my insurance after 3 years of my transplant, I will have it for the rest of my life. I just about cried. The biggest reason that OSU had turned me away was a tragic error.
I had given Cleveland Clinic the exact same information, how could OSU make such a huge mistake? How many other patients have been turned away from OSU for the same mistake?
I will continue to seek transplant at Cleveland Clinic and finish my workup there. I will then, hopefully, be accepted and put on the transplant list. Then Cleveland Clinic will be willing to work up any possible donors, first being my brother and best friend, Jon. We are so happy that things seem to be moving forward.
The funds from this fundraiser will be used as follows.
1. To compensate Jonathan for his time off work for the surgery.
2. To pay for Andrew's time off of work for taking care of me after surgery.
3. For traveling expenses to and from Cleveland, which is about 4 hours north of our home. After transplant I will have to go there once every week.
4. To afford a more reliable vehicle for travel to and from Cleveland Clinic. Currently we only have one vehicle for our household and the radiator is cracked.
5. Any lodging costs for our travels to Cleveland Clinic.
Please, I hope that you have read my story and that you understand my situation. I am just a young woman trying to move on with her life and have a bright future. But I need your help and support to do it. I thank everyone who has donated so far from the very bottom of my heart. If you have any questions, please contact me through my facebook. Thank you again for taking the time to read this.
God Bless.
My name is Joey. I am a 26 years old, soon to be 27. I live in Ohio near Cincinnati and Dayton. I am a wife, a daughter, a sister and a friend. I'm much like many of you out there.
But in 2007, my kidneys failed and my life changed forever. I tried an experimental treatment first that was tragically unsuccessful and in early 2008, I had no other choice but to go on dialysis.
After about a year, and meeting my now husband, Andrew, I regained function in 2009 and was released from treatment. Then after about 2 years, in 2011, I became very sick again and had to return to dialysis. I have been on treatment every since.
I have been seeking a transplant for some time now and I first tried to go to Ohio State University (OSU). Their transplant clinic was had a good reputation for success and was fairly close to my home. I went through a lot of testing with OSU, but when it came to the big decision to accept me or deny me this life-saving treatment, OSU turned me down. The grounds for their decision were stated to me over a conference call with my dialysis support team as this; I was too young, too depressed about my situation and too poor.
Now I know that this may seem outrageous, but it's true. As for the pyschologist, Dr. Kuntz, telling me that I was too young, I have no idea why she would say that to me and I can't explain it. I will clarify their other 2 reasons.
The first being that I was too depressed. At the time, I was on an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication. I was depressed because I don't want to be on dialysis. I feel like my life has been put on hold and I can't chase my dreams like I want to. I had a bright future with my acting career, I wanted to attend a college and study theatre. But I didn't get to graduate on time. I still obtained my high school diploma, it was just a few years later. Being on dialysis makes it very hard to have a job as well. I love to work. It makes me happy. And also, being on dialysis means that I can't start a family with my husband. We want children very much, but it's just not possible while I am this sick. These things weigh on my mind and on my heart. I am no longer on that medication and I am coping.
The second reason, I am too poor. When OSU said this what they meant was that I am too poor to pay for the ongoing antirejection medications that I will need for the rest of my life. Now, of course, I am on Medicare and Medicaid, which will pay for the entire surgery and transplant. However, in the State of Ohio, if you have been granted Medicare only because you are on dialysis, after you have been given a transplant, they cut off your insurance after 3 years of having the transplant. What that means is no more Medicare coverage to pay for your anti-rejection medications. These medications are very expensive costing as much as $1,400 for a one month's supply of just one of the medications you will need. Most transplant patients take 2 to 3 different anit-rejection medications. This cost is astronomical. However, if you can claim Disability for a different condition outside of your Renal condition, you can keep your insurance and it will continue to pay for your medications for the rest of your life. Now I was unsure of whether I had Medicare due to disability or due to dialysis. I gave all of the necessary paperwork to OSU, every document that I had, including my Medicare card. Everything needed to be able to tell me whether or not I had Medicare due to my disability or dialysis. Now the reason they turned me away was because they believed I wouldn't be able to afford the medicines after the 3 year cut off of my insurance because they believed I only had Medicare due to dialysis. And ever since then, I have had a heavy heart and a sense of dread about not being able to afford these medicines. And if I couldn't afford them that would just mean that the kidney I was given would be rejected, fail and I would end up back on dialysis. So OSU denied me based majorly on my financial status and based on what they concluded was my type of Medicare.
I decided to try again at a different transplant clinic. A bigger, highly recommended clinic. I went to Cleveland Clinic. It's quite the drive but it was definitely worth it. I had a day long appointment on October 1st, 2015. I went with my husband, Andrew, and my adopted brother, Jonathan. Their entire process was different and vastly more professional. The handled much of the testing within the same day. I met the entire transplant team and spoke with them personal and in length. They met my support people too. The entire team was welcoming and warm, I really feel like they care. And the best part, the social worker took one look at my Medicare card and told me that I won't lose my insurance after 3 years of my transplant, I will have it for the rest of my life. I just about cried. The biggest reason that OSU had turned me away was a tragic error.
I had given Cleveland Clinic the exact same information, how could OSU make such a huge mistake? How many other patients have been turned away from OSU for the same mistake?
I will continue to seek transplant at Cleveland Clinic and finish my workup there. I will then, hopefully, be accepted and put on the transplant list. Then Cleveland Clinic will be willing to work up any possible donors, first being my brother and best friend, Jon. We are so happy that things seem to be moving forward.
The funds from this fundraiser will be used as follows.
1. To compensate Jonathan for his time off work for the surgery.
2. To pay for Andrew's time off of work for taking care of me after surgery.
3. For traveling expenses to and from Cleveland, which is about 4 hours north of our home. After transplant I will have to go there once every week.
4. To afford a more reliable vehicle for travel to and from Cleveland Clinic. Currently we only have one vehicle for our household and the radiator is cracked.
5. Any lodging costs for our travels to Cleveland Clinic.
Please, I hope that you have read my story and that you understand my situation. I am just a young woman trying to move on with her life and have a bright future. But I need your help and support to do it. I thank everyone who has donated so far from the very bottom of my heart. If you have any questions, please contact me through my facebook. Thank you again for taking the time to read this.
God Bless.
Organizer
Joey Christine Yourkvitch
Organizer
Wilmington, OH
