Help Jen Get a Life Saving Kidney Transplant
Donation protected
Hi all, my name is Jennifer (Jen) Guillén and I was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy, an auto-immune kidney disease, in September 2017. We don't know exactly how this happened since currently there isn't much information and research on IgA Nephropathy-- I could have genetically inherited it or developed it after getting a simple virus like the flu or strep. The disease quickly progressed to kidney failure at the end of November 2017 (called End Stage Renal Disease).
Kidney failure forced me to begin night-time peritoneal dialysis, which pumps dialysate (a sugar) into my abdominal cavity and removes the toxins that my kidneys can no longer filter out. The dialysis has increased my mortality to 20-25% after the first year, with a 5-year survival rate of 35%.
Currently, there are no cures for my condition, but transplant can lengthen my life expectancy. It reduces my mortality rate down to 3% after 5 years (The Kidney Project, University of California at San Francisco 2019).
Many generous friends and family members were evaluated as living donors, but none were accepted. Then, my wonderful friend, and former student, Allison Hoshide, was approved to donate one of her kidneys to me. We are scheduled to undergo transplant surgery on the morning of April 30, 2019 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, only a few minutes from where Allison and I live. It will save my life.
Both of Allison's parents, Lisa and Miles Hoshide, will be flying into the St. Louis area from Los Angeles to help her throughout the post-operative recovery period. The estimated recovery for a donor is 2-8 weeks and Allison's parents will help her for a period of 4 weeks; all three of them will lose wages to support me in this fight.
My mom, Ann Cyphers, will be taking a sabbatical from work, so she will not be losing any wages. She will be flying into the St. Louis area from Mexico City and will be my caretaker for a few months since my immune system will be compromised. I will not be able to do many things like drive a car, go to the store, walk around in crowded, public spaces, or be around anyone who may be sick. My recovery time is estimated between 4-12 weeks. I will receive my regular pay throughout this period, so I will not be losing any wages to accommodate surgery and recovery.
This GoFundMe campaign was created to seek your much-needed help. While my insurance covers the medical costs associated with the transplant testing and surgeries for patient and donor, there are additional expenses during the recovery period that are not covered and would negatively affect Allison and her family, as well as mine. These people are instrumental in my recovery and are giving everything they have to help me.
I would be deeply grateful if you would help me cover some of these incremental costs. In this way, you can help me thank these wonderful folks and help improve my quality and length of life. Every penny counts.
In order to cover all of these out-of-pocket expenses, we need to raise $17,000 USD. You can see the breakdown of these costs below. There are strict guidelines for organ donation, so neither Allison nor I (or our families) may profit from this in any way. Any unused funds will either be donated to a national or local kidney organization to continue assisting in research and helping those of limited means, or will be refunded to the people who have donated.
Allison's lost wages (2-8 weeks): $1,000-4,000 (Allison will be unable to work until cleared by her transplant team).
Allison's parents' lost wages (4 weeks): $6,300 (this covers their unpaid time off work to care after their daughter).
Round-trip flights for Allison's parents (4 weeks): $868 ($434 each; round-trip flights from LAX-STL).
Round-trip flight for Jen's mom: $600 (Mexico City to St. Louis).
Land transportation costs for Allison's family (gas for her car): $400 ($100 per week; this covers travel to and from Allison's home in Belleville, IL to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis for her check-ups (approx. 40 minute drive each way)).
Food for Allison's family during her recovery period (4 weeks): $763.60-900.40 ($190.90-225.10 per week, 3 people. This estimate is according to the USDA's cost of food at home, the moderate and liberal weekly plans for 3 people, 2015).
Cost of medication for Jen (for life): $2,040/year with current insurance ($170/month; I will need to take some pretty expensive medications that are not completely covered by my insurance and Medicare. Without them, the kidney could be rejected; I could get an infection and possibly die or have other complications, so they will be an important part of my life).
Cost of Medicare monthly premium for Jen (12 months+): $1,626/year ($135.50/month; Medicare is an important part of my healthcare pre- and post-transplant, especially to reduce the cost of anti-rejection medications. Currently, the American Kidney Fund covers my premiums since I am unable to afford them on my own; however, once I am transplanted, they will no longer cover these).
ESTIMATED TOTAL (rounded up to nearest hundred): $13,600-16,700.
If it helps any, I'm an American School Foundation (ASF-Mexico City) Bear/alumna (Class of 2002), a University of Illinois Fighting Illini/alumna (Class of 2005), and a Texas A&M University (Class of 2010 and 2014). Allison is a McKendree Bearcat/alumna (Class of 2017).
GoFundMe charges a 2.9% transaction fee + $0.30/transaction, so if you prefer to donate directly, you can do so via PayPal or Venmo (use the email address [email redacted] on both platforms; Venmo is discontinuing donations through venmo.com so you must use the app instead). You can also send any messages you would like Allison or I to read through GoFundMe (if you'd like to send a card please send us a message on here and we will provide the appropriate address).
We appreciate any and everything you can give, including good juju if you don't have anything to donate.
Love and appreciation always,
Jennifer C. Guillén (aka Jen or Jenna)
#DonateLife #OrganDonation #FundraisingOrganDonationHelp #PleaseHelp #TransplantSurgery #KidneyTransplant #LifeSavingHumans #HelpSaveJensLife #LifeChangingDonation #SelflessHumans #AllisonIsSavingMyLife #GuillenTransplant2019 #LoveYourKidneys #ThankYou #Gracias #AprilIsDonateLifeMonth #RaiseAwareness
Kidney failure forced me to begin night-time peritoneal dialysis, which pumps dialysate (a sugar) into my abdominal cavity and removes the toxins that my kidneys can no longer filter out. The dialysis has increased my mortality to 20-25% after the first year, with a 5-year survival rate of 35%.
Currently, there are no cures for my condition, but transplant can lengthen my life expectancy. It reduces my mortality rate down to 3% after 5 years (The Kidney Project, University of California at San Francisco 2019).
Many generous friends and family members were evaluated as living donors, but none were accepted. Then, my wonderful friend, and former student, Allison Hoshide, was approved to donate one of her kidneys to me. We are scheduled to undergo transplant surgery on the morning of April 30, 2019 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, only a few minutes from where Allison and I live. It will save my life.
Both of Allison's parents, Lisa and Miles Hoshide, will be flying into the St. Louis area from Los Angeles to help her throughout the post-operative recovery period. The estimated recovery for a donor is 2-8 weeks and Allison's parents will help her for a period of 4 weeks; all three of them will lose wages to support me in this fight.
My mom, Ann Cyphers, will be taking a sabbatical from work, so she will not be losing any wages. She will be flying into the St. Louis area from Mexico City and will be my caretaker for a few months since my immune system will be compromised. I will not be able to do many things like drive a car, go to the store, walk around in crowded, public spaces, or be around anyone who may be sick. My recovery time is estimated between 4-12 weeks. I will receive my regular pay throughout this period, so I will not be losing any wages to accommodate surgery and recovery.
This GoFundMe campaign was created to seek your much-needed help. While my insurance covers the medical costs associated with the transplant testing and surgeries for patient and donor, there are additional expenses during the recovery period that are not covered and would negatively affect Allison and her family, as well as mine. These people are instrumental in my recovery and are giving everything they have to help me.
I would be deeply grateful if you would help me cover some of these incremental costs. In this way, you can help me thank these wonderful folks and help improve my quality and length of life. Every penny counts.
In order to cover all of these out-of-pocket expenses, we need to raise $17,000 USD. You can see the breakdown of these costs below. There are strict guidelines for organ donation, so neither Allison nor I (or our families) may profit from this in any way. Any unused funds will either be donated to a national or local kidney organization to continue assisting in research and helping those of limited means, or will be refunded to the people who have donated.
Allison's lost wages (2-8 weeks): $1,000-4,000 (Allison will be unable to work until cleared by her transplant team).
Allison's parents' lost wages (4 weeks): $6,300 (this covers their unpaid time off work to care after their daughter).
Round-trip flights for Allison's parents (4 weeks): $868 ($434 each; round-trip flights from LAX-STL).
Round-trip flight for Jen's mom: $600 (Mexico City to St. Louis).
Land transportation costs for Allison's family (gas for her car): $400 ($100 per week; this covers travel to and from Allison's home in Belleville, IL to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis for her check-ups (approx. 40 minute drive each way)).
Food for Allison's family during her recovery period (4 weeks): $763.60-900.40 ($190.90-225.10 per week, 3 people. This estimate is according to the USDA's cost of food at home, the moderate and liberal weekly plans for 3 people, 2015).
Cost of medication for Jen (for life): $2,040/year with current insurance ($170/month; I will need to take some pretty expensive medications that are not completely covered by my insurance and Medicare. Without them, the kidney could be rejected; I could get an infection and possibly die or have other complications, so they will be an important part of my life).
Cost of Medicare monthly premium for Jen (12 months+): $1,626/year ($135.50/month; Medicare is an important part of my healthcare pre- and post-transplant, especially to reduce the cost of anti-rejection medications. Currently, the American Kidney Fund covers my premiums since I am unable to afford them on my own; however, once I am transplanted, they will no longer cover these).
ESTIMATED TOTAL (rounded up to nearest hundred): $13,600-16,700.
If it helps any, I'm an American School Foundation (ASF-Mexico City) Bear/alumna (Class of 2002), a University of Illinois Fighting Illini/alumna (Class of 2005), and a Texas A&M University (Class of 2010 and 2014). Allison is a McKendree Bearcat/alumna (Class of 2017).
GoFundMe charges a 2.9% transaction fee + $0.30/transaction, so if you prefer to donate directly, you can do so via PayPal or Venmo (use the email address [email redacted] on both platforms; Venmo is discontinuing donations through venmo.com so you must use the app instead). You can also send any messages you would like Allison or I to read through GoFundMe (if you'd like to send a card please send us a message on here and we will provide the appropriate address).
We appreciate any and everything you can give, including good juju if you don't have anything to donate.
Love and appreciation always,
Jennifer C. Guillén (aka Jen or Jenna)
#DonateLife #OrganDonation #FundraisingOrganDonationHelp #PleaseHelp #TransplantSurgery #KidneyTransplant #LifeSavingHumans #HelpSaveJensLife #LifeChangingDonation #SelflessHumans #AllisonIsSavingMyLife #GuillenTransplant2019 #LoveYourKidneys #ThankYou #Gracias #AprilIsDonateLifeMonth #RaiseAwareness
Organizer
J C G-c
Organizer
Belleville, IL
