Alyssa's Living Donor Donation Fund
Donation protected
As many of you may know my dad Anthony DeAngelis, has been battling liver disease and has been in desperate need of a new liver. Unfortunately, because of his age and his “MELD” score he is too low on the list to likely ever receive one in time.
What you probably DON’T know is since we found out that information and put up a Facebook page on his behalf to create awareness, my sister, Alyssa DeAngelis (we call her “Leetz”), has been the brave one to step up and offer to be a living donor for my dad.
After a long process of tests, many blood samples, psych evaluations, MRI’s, etc she was approved. To be clear, a living donor gives more than half their healthy liver to someone who needs a new liver, and both the donor and recipient’s partial liver’s will grow back over time. The surgery for both my sister and my dad is set to take place simultaneously on Tuesday, March 12th at New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Now I must say it’s not easy knowing your little sister made this decision. I felt like it should have been me as her older brother, but she’s strong willed, and she made it clear to me this route made the most sense for many reasons. She always wants to help people, and she’s not only helping my dad and saving his life, but she’s doing this for my mom and our family. One of the most unselfish acts I think a human being can do for another person. Ya know, before all this happened, for years my cousins and I would always yell “Strong Leetz!” when she would enter the room or arrive somewhere. Who knew it would ring so true now because what she is about to go through.
That being said, my very active sister will be out of commission for quite a while. She will not be able to work, and even though she will receive a small disability allowance, we don’t know when she will even receive that. We do know that it will not be enough to cover her rent and bills during this time, which will pile up.
BUT in true Leetz fashion, being the strong independent woman that she is, she found out you could apply for a grant that covers living donors transportation, daily living expenses, and help with rent for a situation like this. Leetz doesn’t like to ask for help so this grant seemed like the perfect solution. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, she was DENIED that grant. I personally don’t understand how that is possible, but the powers that be made that decision.
So here we are. Full disclosure my sister was very hesitant for me to even make this GoFundMe page. She doesn’t want to burden anybody else, but it takes a very special kind of person who is 100% healthy to willingly volunteer to give your perfectly good organ to someone else. Many friends and family are always asking how my dad is doing and how they can help in any way possible. Well, the way to help my dad is by helping my sister…the one who is helping my dad the most.
My sister is a living donor donating her liver to my dad to save his life, if you’re able to donate ANY amount, my family and I would be forever grateful, but most importantly we would be thankful knowing you are helping out my sister, because she truly is a Strong Leetz!
On behalf of my family and I, Thank You.
#StrongLeetz
The Middle Bro
What you probably DON’T know is since we found out that information and put up a Facebook page on his behalf to create awareness, my sister, Alyssa DeAngelis (we call her “Leetz”), has been the brave one to step up and offer to be a living donor for my dad.
After a long process of tests, many blood samples, psych evaluations, MRI’s, etc she was approved. To be clear, a living donor gives more than half their healthy liver to someone who needs a new liver, and both the donor and recipient’s partial liver’s will grow back over time. The surgery for both my sister and my dad is set to take place simultaneously on Tuesday, March 12th at New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Now I must say it’s not easy knowing your little sister made this decision. I felt like it should have been me as her older brother, but she’s strong willed, and she made it clear to me this route made the most sense for many reasons. She always wants to help people, and she’s not only helping my dad and saving his life, but she’s doing this for my mom and our family. One of the most unselfish acts I think a human being can do for another person. Ya know, before all this happened, for years my cousins and I would always yell “Strong Leetz!” when she would enter the room or arrive somewhere. Who knew it would ring so true now because what she is about to go through.
That being said, my very active sister will be out of commission for quite a while. She will not be able to work, and even though she will receive a small disability allowance, we don’t know when she will even receive that. We do know that it will not be enough to cover her rent and bills during this time, which will pile up.
BUT in true Leetz fashion, being the strong independent woman that she is, she found out you could apply for a grant that covers living donors transportation, daily living expenses, and help with rent for a situation like this. Leetz doesn’t like to ask for help so this grant seemed like the perfect solution. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, she was DENIED that grant. I personally don’t understand how that is possible, but the powers that be made that decision.
So here we are. Full disclosure my sister was very hesitant for me to even make this GoFundMe page. She doesn’t want to burden anybody else, but it takes a very special kind of person who is 100% healthy to willingly volunteer to give your perfectly good organ to someone else. Many friends and family are always asking how my dad is doing and how they can help in any way possible. Well, the way to help my dad is by helping my sister…the one who is helping my dad the most.
My sister is a living donor donating her liver to my dad to save his life, if you’re able to donate ANY amount, my family and I would be forever grateful, but most importantly we would be thankful knowing you are helping out my sister, because she truly is a Strong Leetz!
On behalf of my family and I, Thank You.
#StrongLeetz
The Middle Bro
Organizer and beneficiary
Derek DeAngelis
Organizer
Neptune, NJ
Alyssa DeAngelis
Beneficiary
