Ben's journey to transplant
Donation protected
Ben is the loving husband of Melissa and devoted and involved father of Ames (10) and Ginger (7).
He is a dedicated worker for the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ), the capital city of Alaska. As the Landscape supervisor in the Parks and Recreation department, he loves his job as "the boss of the flowers" as Ginger labeled him when she was age four.
Ben has known since a teenager that he would someday deal with Polycystic Kidney Disease. His paternal grandmother had the disease, as did his father and his brother and several others on our "Patterson" side of the family. PKD not only affects the kidneys but can have other significant health implications, such as the brain aneurysm that Ben had in 2005.
Since Juneau is a small town, not many medical specialists are available there, so Ben travels to Seattle, Washington for his medical care which requires a few plane tickets per year. At his appointments earlier this month (January 2018), we were told Ben is nearing (likely within six months) the need for dialysis or a transplant.
In preparation Ben's doctor recommends a dialysis port be surgically implanted in the next 3-4 weeks so it can heal for 4-8 weeks and be ready when dialysis is needed.
We are asking the support of family and friends to help us spread the word to seek out an O blood type live kidney donor for Ben and if you are able, to contribute towards the expenses that will be incurred for his medical needs over the next several months as we take this journey toward a NEW KIDNEY!
He is a dedicated worker for the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ), the capital city of Alaska. As the Landscape supervisor in the Parks and Recreation department, he loves his job as "the boss of the flowers" as Ginger labeled him when she was age four.
Ben has known since a teenager that he would someday deal with Polycystic Kidney Disease. His paternal grandmother had the disease, as did his father and his brother and several others on our "Patterson" side of the family. PKD not only affects the kidneys but can have other significant health implications, such as the brain aneurysm that Ben had in 2005.
Since Juneau is a small town, not many medical specialists are available there, so Ben travels to Seattle, Washington for his medical care which requires a few plane tickets per year. At his appointments earlier this month (January 2018), we were told Ben is nearing (likely within six months) the need for dialysis or a transplant.
In preparation Ben's doctor recommends a dialysis port be surgically implanted in the next 3-4 weeks so it can heal for 4-8 weeks and be ready when dialysis is needed.
We are asking the support of family and friends to help us spread the word to seek out an O blood type live kidney donor for Ben and if you are able, to contribute towards the expenses that will be incurred for his medical needs over the next several months as we take this journey toward a NEW KIDNEY!
Organizer and beneficiary
Karen Patterson
Organizer
Sandy Creek Township, PA
Ben or Melissa Patterson
Beneficiary