Chuck Mitchell's Kidney Campaign
Hi my name is Chuck. I am in dire need of a kidney transplant. I have been on kidney dialysis for 16 years. My treatments are 3 days a week for 4 hours per treatment. Kidney dialysis is my survival. It keeps me alive but it also takes a toll on my body. I have so far beat the odds as the average dialysis patient lives for only 5-10 years but all good things come to an end. I have 100% antibodies and A+ blood type which means that finding a matching donor would be almost impossible hence the reason why I have been on Dialysis so long.
I am currently listed for a deceased donor kidney in New York State where I reside but the transplant hospital only has a small program and the likely hood of finding a donor in New York is very slim. My love of my life has offered to be a donor but sadly she is not a match. She has been tested and cleared to become a kidney donor through paired donation but again our current program is small it is not known if a match will become available for me. I have been referred to a program at St Barnabas Hospital in New Jersey that has a national paired donation program. Recently my fiancé and I traveled the 5 ½ hour trip to St Barnabas Hospital to meet with the transplant team. They are very hopeful that they can find a kidney for me though their paired donation program. In order to get accepted in to the program in New Jersey I have to have funds secured to be able to stay in a safe clean place in New Jersey for at least 3 months post-transplant for follow up. Currently the only option is to stay in an extended stay hotel close to the hospital which has been quoted at approximately $4,000 a month.
This journey has definitely tested me and my loved ones in more ways than one. After the transplant a new part of the journey begins. Funds are needed for paying for travel, lodging and time off from work. After surgery expenses, deductibles and medication costs are totaled up insurance pays for most expenses but not 100%. Please consider a donation every dollar helps. Or if you have any interest in becoming a kidney donor please call Upstate Hospital Transplant program @ (315) [phone redacted] all you will need is my name Charles Mitchell and my date of birth 8/17/61.
St Barnabas Living Donor Institute www.rwjbh.org/LDI
United Network For Organ Sharing (UNOS) www.unos.org
Dialysis: I spend a lot of hours here :(
Here's a video explaining the basics of dialysis:
https://youtu.be/fKlY2SKi_dk 
Me and my Angel...
