Anyone who knows my twin brother, Joshua Reineke, knows that he will do anything to help someone in need. Whether it’s giving advice on home repairs, assistance completing those home repairs, or just someone to talk to, Josh is there. It is because of this, I am attempting to return the favor by creating this GoFundMe with the goal of assisting him financially with his upcoming surgery, where he will once again help someone in need.
Josh has a friend named Eric who is suffering from kidney failure. Eric has been told by his doctors that if he doesn’t receive a kidney in the next 6 months, he will need to start dialysis. According to The United Network of Organ Sharing, there are over 93,000 people on the kidney transplant waiting list. Depending on the state, the wait for a deceased organ donor can be between 5-10 years. It’s important to also note, that the life expectancy after receiving a kidney from a deceased donor is much shorter than after receiving a kidney from a living donor. It is because of these facts that Josh decided to step up and donate his kidney to Eric.
Becoming an organ donor is not as simple as calling a doctor and telling them you wish to donate. Josh realized after a lot of research, that in order to be an eligible donor, he would be required to undergo multiple blood draws and scans, as well as meet with various doctors to evaluate his physical and mental health. This revelation did not deter him.
When Josh was positive that he wanted to help his friend and donate, he knew he would have to change his eating habits and start a workout regimen. Josh started bicycling over 40 miles a week, and eliminated all soda and sweets from is diet. As a result, he lost over 30 lbs. in just over 2 months!
After Josh felt confident in his physical health, he underwent the aforementioned scans, blood draws, and consultations with the doctors. In August 2016, he was deemed physically and mentally healthy enough to undergo this elective surgery. This determination was only the first step of the donation equation.
After Josh was deemed medically able to donate his kidney, his blood also needed to be tested to see if he was a match with Eric, so Eric’s body wouldn’t reject his kidney after the transplant. The test results concluded that Josh is a match! If it had been revealed that Josh wasn’t a match, he was willing to take part in a paired exchange donation in which he would donate his kidney to an anonymous recipient, and in return Eric would receive a kidney from a donor with whom he matched. If you would like to learn more about paired matching, you can visit www.unos.org/donation/kidney-paired-donation/.
Throughout the various consults and tests, Josh never seemed too worried about the surgical aspect of the procedure, only the financial toll the recovery would take on him. Thankfully, the entire surgery is covered under the recipient’s insurance, but the recovery time away from work is not. This is where you can help!
The kidney transplant surgery is scheduled for the end of October 2016. Josh will be taking 5 weeks of unpaid leave to recover after he donates his kidney. Unfortunately, short term disability is not offered through his employer. The worry is that his recurring monthly bills such as his car payment, insurance, and student loans, will go unpaid as a result of the necessary recovery time. This poses the question: Should someone who commits an act so selfless have to suffer financially as a result? The answer should be: Absolutely not. The purpose of this GoFundMe is to hopefully raise enough money to replace some of Josh’s lost income as result of donating his kidney. If you are unable to make a financial contribution, your thoughts and well wishes are also appreciated. Thank you very much for your consideration.
Note: The National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 states that it is a crime "for any person to knowingly acquire, receive, or otherwise transfer any human organ for valuable consideration for use in human transplantation if the transfer affects interstate commerce." Due to this law, this campaign will end if it reaches its max goal of $2,500. If this campaign were to raise a significantly larger amount of money, it may appear that Joshua is attempting to seek compensation for donating his kidney, and an investigation may ensue and prevent the surgery from taking place.
Thank you,
Amy Belland
Josh has a friend named Eric who is suffering from kidney failure. Eric has been told by his doctors that if he doesn’t receive a kidney in the next 6 months, he will need to start dialysis. According to The United Network of Organ Sharing, there are over 93,000 people on the kidney transplant waiting list. Depending on the state, the wait for a deceased organ donor can be between 5-10 years. It’s important to also note, that the life expectancy after receiving a kidney from a deceased donor is much shorter than after receiving a kidney from a living donor. It is because of these facts that Josh decided to step up and donate his kidney to Eric.
Becoming an organ donor is not as simple as calling a doctor and telling them you wish to donate. Josh realized after a lot of research, that in order to be an eligible donor, he would be required to undergo multiple blood draws and scans, as well as meet with various doctors to evaluate his physical and mental health. This revelation did not deter him.
When Josh was positive that he wanted to help his friend and donate, he knew he would have to change his eating habits and start a workout regimen. Josh started bicycling over 40 miles a week, and eliminated all soda and sweets from is diet. As a result, he lost over 30 lbs. in just over 2 months!
After Josh felt confident in his physical health, he underwent the aforementioned scans, blood draws, and consultations with the doctors. In August 2016, he was deemed physically and mentally healthy enough to undergo this elective surgery. This determination was only the first step of the donation equation.
After Josh was deemed medically able to donate his kidney, his blood also needed to be tested to see if he was a match with Eric, so Eric’s body wouldn’t reject his kidney after the transplant. The test results concluded that Josh is a match! If it had been revealed that Josh wasn’t a match, he was willing to take part in a paired exchange donation in which he would donate his kidney to an anonymous recipient, and in return Eric would receive a kidney from a donor with whom he matched. If you would like to learn more about paired matching, you can visit www.unos.org/donation/kidney-paired-donation/.
Throughout the various consults and tests, Josh never seemed too worried about the surgical aspect of the procedure, only the financial toll the recovery would take on him. Thankfully, the entire surgery is covered under the recipient’s insurance, but the recovery time away from work is not. This is where you can help!
The kidney transplant surgery is scheduled for the end of October 2016. Josh will be taking 5 weeks of unpaid leave to recover after he donates his kidney. Unfortunately, short term disability is not offered through his employer. The worry is that his recurring monthly bills such as his car payment, insurance, and student loans, will go unpaid as a result of the necessary recovery time. This poses the question: Should someone who commits an act so selfless have to suffer financially as a result? The answer should be: Absolutely not. The purpose of this GoFundMe is to hopefully raise enough money to replace some of Josh’s lost income as result of donating his kidney. If you are unable to make a financial contribution, your thoughts and well wishes are also appreciated. Thank you very much for your consideration.
Note: The National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 states that it is a crime "for any person to knowingly acquire, receive, or otherwise transfer any human organ for valuable consideration for use in human transplantation if the transfer affects interstate commerce." Due to this law, this campaign will end if it reaches its max goal of $2,500. If this campaign were to raise a significantly larger amount of money, it may appear that Joshua is attempting to seek compensation for donating his kidney, and an investigation may ensue and prevent the surgery from taking place.
Thank you,
Amy Belland
Organizer and beneficiary
Joshua Reineke
Beneficiary