A Kidney Story In Need Of Help for " Hicks Family"

As many of you may not be aware, sadly, my husband, Clifton Hicks, has been experiencing stage 5 Acute Renal Failure. Unfortunately, his

kidneys are no longer functioning adequately and he was placed on a ventilator on 12/11/2024 due to complications of throat surgery the doctors encountered. On 12/19/2024 he was taken back into surgery for a successful removal of the ventilator. On Dec 1st, I took him to the emergency room because he was experiencing shortness of breath. Minutes later, we were told by the physician he is being admitted because his kidneys are shutting down, and his blood pressure was extremely high. He was diagnosed with acute kidney failure. Acute kidney failure develops over a period of hours or days. It happens when the kidneys suddenly stop filtering waste products from the blood. When the kidneys can't filter waste, it causes the accumulation of nitrogenous (TOXINS) in the blood. This was caused by what we believe to be his uncontrolled blood pressure over a period of time.

Currently, he is finally home after 31 days of being in the hospital , with what was Acute kidney failure to what now has progressed to End of Stage Renal Failure and is forced to rely on dialysis every other day for 4 hours at a time while desperately searching for a living donor, facing the emotional strain of asking loved ones for significant sacrifice, and navigating the challenges of a long wait on the transplant list. All while trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy in his life, and the physical and mental toll of dialysis it has on him and our family. Therefore, it has caused him to lose his employment, and now I am unable to keep my job due to his admission in ICU. He was much of a help to me and our 7 kids, and now he has limited ability due to his diagnosis and the way it's taking a toll on his body. It's hard for his kids to understand the effects it has on their dad and why he can't do the things he used to do. Dialysis makes him very weak, fatigued, and very tired.

Upon release, Clifton has to travel an hour away from his hometown to do dialysis 3 times a week, 4 hours a day, because they currently have no open chairs available near him. This news has hit our family very hard and very unexpectedly during the holiday season. All we ask is any contributions, big or small, will help this family cover the cost of significant medical expenses, along with the ability to help pay for rent, bills, and transportation for his treatment an hour away. If everyone who takes the time to read this donates just $1, $3, or just $5, this will take a little ease off our family and help tremendously since we both are unable to work as I have to stay home and be his caregiver while caring for our 7 children as well. We understand that asking for such a significant gift is a big request, but your support would mean the world to us. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for considering how you can help us on this journey towards a healthier future. With heart felt gratitude from the Hicks Family. If you have any questions about kidney donations or the transplant process or anything else, don't hesitate to contact his wife, Maria Hicks.