Cathy's Liver Transplant Fund

On February 3rd 2011 Cathy Grouwstra (Boudreault) was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), a rare disease of the bile ducts. Although PSC is a disease of the bile ducts it ultimately leads to liver failure due to the damage it inflicts upon the liver. There is little known about this disease and its cause is still unknown due to this there are no known curative treatments.  A liver transplant is the only known successful treatment.
When Cathy was diagnosed she was already in liver failure. She has struggled for the last 5 years with fatigue, pain, infections, countless hospital visits and ambulance rides. Despite all of her symptoms she has been strong for herself and her son and mustered the strength to keep going to work. In October 2014 Cathy finally became too ill to work and since then has been supporting herself and her 16 year old son Shawn on what little income she gets from disability.

In June 2015, after waiting for over 4 years and rapidly declining health, Cathy was officially put on the liver transplant list.

Last month Cathy’s gall bladder was so damaged it was at risk of rupturing and although it should have been removed, surgery was too risky due to her deteriorating health. It was decided to wait until she received a new liver to remove the gall bladder. Although there was no guarantee a new liver would even come.

On Valentine’s Day 2016 a miracle happened and Cathy received a call to go to Vancouver to receive her new liver. A relief washed over us all as finally what we had been hoping and praying for had come true.  But there is still a long road of recovery ahead. Cathy will be in the hospital for at least another week while they monitor for complications and rejection which is still a very real risk. She has already had an emergency surgery for a post op bleed and a liver biopsy to investigate other complications. Once she is discharged from the hospital she is required to stay in Vancouver for a minimum of 3 months for further recovery and monitoring. If her recovery does not go smoothly it could be up to a year.

While we all know how stubborn and strong of a woman Cathy is, it has been a very difficult time for her not only physically and emotionally but financially. Expenses are beginning to accumulate, so far she has been able to make ends meet at home for her son Shawn but she does not have the money to cover the costs of living in Vancouver during her recovery. Once Cathy is discharged from the hospital the Happy Liver Society’s Stacey’s House is thankfully available for rent at a discounted rate. This is a wonderful service and she is very grateful for the opportunity to stay there. Although unfortunately at $1500 per month it will be impossible for Cathy to afford the rent on her own, not to mention the cost of transportation, the cost of the flight to Vancouver still owing, food costs and all the other everyday expenses of life. Essentially Cathy will be supporting a teenage son and herself in two different households on a single parent’s disability income for anywhere from 3 months to a year. In addition to this she is still paying for other health related expenses such as ambulance rides to the hospital. Cathy will not be able to return to work for at least one year while she recovers and will need to pay for various medical expenses along the way.

This disease has taken an enormous toll on Cathy and Shawn as well as all her friends and family. Her strength and determination over the last 5 years has been an inspiration. She is a wonderful mother to her son, sister, daughter, aunt and dear friend to us all. This is the last leg of a long journey for Cathy and a critical time that financial worries should not be causing her unneeded stress. We are asking for donations of any amount that people are able to contribute to help cover the costs of Cathy’s stay in Vancouver and to help support her son Shawn in Nelson while she is away.

Cathy’s only request when I asked her about making this page was a testament to the type of person she is. Here is what she wanted us all to know;

“That the battle to get here was so hard but so worth it. Family and friends are so important, being stronger together makes bonds stronger and laughter is the best medicine.”

 We want to thank you for visiting Cathy’s GoFundMe Page and for any contributions you can make to help her and her son Shawn through this difficult time.