Ann Poetter's Kidney Transplant
Donation protected
G O O D N E W S !
First of all, we want to thank our amazing God for a successful kidney transplant on January 3, 2019! Mom and Cindy (donor) are both safely recovering at home. We also want to thank all of you for your abundant prayers, wishes, thoughts, encouragement, gifts, and support. We are so blessed to have such a strong community and supportive family. This has been amazing to witness!
Us “Poetter” kids wanted to do something to help further support our mom and dad, which led us to start this fundraising page. We had previously discussed options with mom who graciously and humbly declined several times. However, a few days before surgery we were discussing the cost of surgery, the lost wages she will have, the travel expenses, her health insurance premiums and deductibles, and the money already spent last year in preparation for dialysis and the transplant. The numbers added up quickly and became overwhelming. Our parents have spent their whole lives giving to others in many ways without asking for anything in return. Now, us kids have decided to reach out and be their voice to ask for help.
We ask that if you are compelled, please give what is right in your heart - every cent counts. Also consider sharing this link whether or not you are able to donate. We thank you all for supporting our parents through this challenging time. And keep the prayers coming for Mom and Cindy!
Blessings to You All,
The Poetter Family
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Below is Ann's story in her own words:
“Do I have an amazing story of the power of prayer and God’s grace! With my transplant surgery tomorrow (1/3/19) there have been many emotions the past few days but I am at peace. As I reflect on this whole kidney ride I am in awe of all the prayers that have gone up for me from all of you. God has answered all of them, some maybe not the way we wanted but by his grace most of them have been what we asked for or better.
When I was diagnosed in July of 2017, it was stage 4 acute kidney/ renal failure. We prayed for it to get better but by September it was stage 5/end stage chronic kidney failure. In His wisdom God had said no to that prayer. But then sent me on a journey!! He broke me down and began to teach me what trust is and where my trust should be. He opened my eyes to the grace He pours out to us every day through Jesus. He taught me the importance of prayer and opening up to the prayer Warriors He has put in my life. He put a selfless Christian woman in my life, my kidney sis. And then He never stopped loving me or letting me know He was there.
I am at peace today with whatever God does next with this surgery. How could I be anything else when He has gotten me over many hurdles?
They said I would be a difficult match. I would need dialysis for 1-5 years, most likely about 2 years and yet He found a match for me quickly. Last night was my last time on dialysis and that marks just under 3 months, not 2 years! Praise be to God! There are over 100,000 people waiting for a transplant, but only about 16,000 - 18,000/ year. I am blessed.
Then about 3 weeks before surgery I was told that my antibody number had gone up. This meant I would need to go through a desensitizing program. That is when they moved surgery from 1/2 to 1/3. I was going to have to do a series of things that come with risk and I was scared.
It would involve an IV of immune suppressing drugs that can cause some issues, then I would have had a line or port placed in my chest/ neck area. This would be used for 2 plasma treatments the week of surgery. My blood would have been cycled out, plasma removed, antibodies hopefully reduced and plasma returned. Then the afternoon before surgery they would have checked my antibody level. If if wasn’t where they needed it to be the transplant would have been cancelled! More prayers by my faithful prayer warriors and God said ,”ok, I can change this”.
About a week later I got a call that my antibody number had dropped to lower than when we had first started the process. They asked a few questions about if I’d done certain things that month. I hadn’t so all they could say was that they had no idea how or why my numbers had dropped but they were cancelling the scary desensitizing program. Praise be to God!
So does God hear our prayers, absolutely, so keep praying. Is it always a yes? No, but it is always for our best.
God had a plan back in 1980 that would save my life in 2019. In 1980 while I was walking through the doors of Wisconsin Lutheran College as a student, Cindy was born.
Little did I know the God would use WLC as my connection to my kidney sis. That is how we met years later when she was working there.
If God can do all of this, how can I be anything else but at peace. He knows what He’s doing!
Continue to pray Warriors! God loves us. I love you all too. Thanks for hanging in there with us.”
#annsplanted #donatelife #trustourgod
First of all, we want to thank our amazing God for a successful kidney transplant on January 3, 2019! Mom and Cindy (donor) are both safely recovering at home. We also want to thank all of you for your abundant prayers, wishes, thoughts, encouragement, gifts, and support. We are so blessed to have such a strong community and supportive family. This has been amazing to witness!
Us “Poetter” kids wanted to do something to help further support our mom and dad, which led us to start this fundraising page. We had previously discussed options with mom who graciously and humbly declined several times. However, a few days before surgery we were discussing the cost of surgery, the lost wages she will have, the travel expenses, her health insurance premiums and deductibles, and the money already spent last year in preparation for dialysis and the transplant. The numbers added up quickly and became overwhelming. Our parents have spent their whole lives giving to others in many ways without asking for anything in return. Now, us kids have decided to reach out and be their voice to ask for help.
We ask that if you are compelled, please give what is right in your heart - every cent counts. Also consider sharing this link whether or not you are able to donate. We thank you all for supporting our parents through this challenging time. And keep the prayers coming for Mom and Cindy!
Blessings to You All,
The Poetter Family
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Below is Ann's story in her own words:
“Do I have an amazing story of the power of prayer and God’s grace! With my transplant surgery tomorrow (1/3/19) there have been many emotions the past few days but I am at peace. As I reflect on this whole kidney ride I am in awe of all the prayers that have gone up for me from all of you. God has answered all of them, some maybe not the way we wanted but by his grace most of them have been what we asked for or better.
When I was diagnosed in July of 2017, it was stage 4 acute kidney/ renal failure. We prayed for it to get better but by September it was stage 5/end stage chronic kidney failure. In His wisdom God had said no to that prayer. But then sent me on a journey!! He broke me down and began to teach me what trust is and where my trust should be. He opened my eyes to the grace He pours out to us every day through Jesus. He taught me the importance of prayer and opening up to the prayer Warriors He has put in my life. He put a selfless Christian woman in my life, my kidney sis. And then He never stopped loving me or letting me know He was there.
I am at peace today with whatever God does next with this surgery. How could I be anything else when He has gotten me over many hurdles?
They said I would be a difficult match. I would need dialysis for 1-5 years, most likely about 2 years and yet He found a match for me quickly. Last night was my last time on dialysis and that marks just under 3 months, not 2 years! Praise be to God! There are over 100,000 people waiting for a transplant, but only about 16,000 - 18,000/ year. I am blessed.
Then about 3 weeks before surgery I was told that my antibody number had gone up. This meant I would need to go through a desensitizing program. That is when they moved surgery from 1/2 to 1/3. I was going to have to do a series of things that come with risk and I was scared.
It would involve an IV of immune suppressing drugs that can cause some issues, then I would have had a line or port placed in my chest/ neck area. This would be used for 2 plasma treatments the week of surgery. My blood would have been cycled out, plasma removed, antibodies hopefully reduced and plasma returned. Then the afternoon before surgery they would have checked my antibody level. If if wasn’t where they needed it to be the transplant would have been cancelled! More prayers by my faithful prayer warriors and God said ,”ok, I can change this”.
About a week later I got a call that my antibody number had dropped to lower than when we had first started the process. They asked a few questions about if I’d done certain things that month. I hadn’t so all they could say was that they had no idea how or why my numbers had dropped but they were cancelling the scary desensitizing program. Praise be to God!
So does God hear our prayers, absolutely, so keep praying. Is it always a yes? No, but it is always for our best.
God had a plan back in 1980 that would save my life in 2019. In 1980 while I was walking through the doors of Wisconsin Lutheran College as a student, Cindy was born.
Little did I know the God would use WLC as my connection to my kidney sis. That is how we met years later when she was working there.
If God can do all of this, how can I be anything else but at peace. He knows what He’s doing!
Continue to pray Warriors! God loves us. I love you all too. Thanks for hanging in there with us.”
#annsplanted #donatelife #trustourgod
Organizer and beneficiary
Caty Parker
Organizer
Renton, WA
Ann Poetter
Beneficiary
