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Ray's Kidney

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A story about my brother, my hero.  A story about Raymond Gallagher.

Raymond (Ray-J as we know him) is a sensitive, caring, supportive man.  A great husband, friend, brother and son.  Looking from the outside in, Ray appears to be physically strong, yet he has a debilitating disease called Fabry’s Disease.  Fabry’s is a rare genetic lysosomal storage disease that can cause a wide range of systemic symptoms.  There is no cure for Fabry’s.

“The disease is slowly progressive and symptoms of kidney, heart and/or neurologic involvement usually occur between the ages of 30 to 45. Many patients are first diagnosed when the accumulated storage material begins to affect kidney or heart function. Therefore, it is important to annually monitor kidney function by blood and urine tests because kidney disease is a major complication that can occur in affected males.” www.fabry.org

Unfortunately, we learned that Ray tested positive for Fabry’s too late.  He is in kidney failure and needs a kidney transplant.

On July 31st while coming in from a fishing trip with his buddies, Ray heard the screams of a child in the water.  He dove into that water not knowing if he was strong enough, not caring about himself and he pulled that boy out of the water, saving his life.  Exhausted but without a second thought, he dove into the water and rescued the grandfather.  Unfortunately, the grandfather didn’t make it. As quoted in the Press of Atlantic City, “One of the onlookers, Raymond Gallagher, of Williamstown, dived into the water and rescued the boy, who was not badly hurt, the report said.  The fisherman also pulled out Hearn…”  and in NJ.com “Without the selfless efforts of Raymond Gallagher and his friends, there is no doubt two people would have drowned and the dive team would have spent a long time recovering the bodies," said Chief Cliff Higbee. "So from the members of Downe Township Dive Team, thank you for acting, not watching."  After the rescue, my brother simply says  “I wish I could have done more!” 

I am asking, as his sister and friend and on behalf of his parents, his wife, his brother, his friends and his family to please consider becoming an organ donor and/or by making monetary donations in Ray’s name.

http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2016/08/man_saves_drowning_boy_cannot_save_grandfather_i_w.html

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/grandfather-drowns-after-attempt-to-rescue-boy-in-cumberland/article_d66edc8c-58ed-11e6-a229-df2d69d069a5.html
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Donations 

  • Mark & Maria Engel
    • $200
    • 8 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Shannon Macklin
Organizer
Pitman, NJ
Jennifer Gallagher
Beneficiary

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