Help Don with his liver bills
Donation protected
Hi everyone,
I’m reaching out to you on behalf of Don Pihl, a friend, coworker, and all-around great guy. Don collapsed in the middle of his workday a year or so ago. That’s when he found out he had liver cancer. Last year he completed chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Then the doctors found a blood clot in his liver. Now a liver transplant is the only way Don’s going to live. The doctors at Washington Medical called on Friday with news they had a liver. Once Don receives a new liver he will no longer be classified as disabled, and he’ll get a new lease on life.
Don’s insurance is requiring him to travel to Seattle for his doctor visits, transplant, and follow up. This program requires him to have specific housing and specific follow-up care (Liver Buddy). He must live in a transplant house that’s going to cost $2000 per month, and he must stay for 3 months. Some coworkers have been able to donate vacation days to help Don cover days when he runs out of sick leave. Friends and family have asked how else to help so we set up this page.
Don is very much in need of money. Most of it will go to help with travel and staffing expenses for his “Liver Buddies” for the 90 days after the transplant and to his post-transplant needs. He’ll need his medication administered and meals cooked for him until he’s able to do it for himself again. Don has to eat an incredible amount of protein which will facilitate in his new liver healing process. After Don is released from ICU, his Liver Buddies have to drive Don back and forth to weekly clinic appointments, accompany him at follow-up appointments, and needs to be on call for any emergency visits. The quality of care provided by Don’s Liver Buddy network after surgery is critical to his survival. Patients with Liver Buddies have a survival rate of 92%. Several of us have volunteered to take our vacation time to help cover the 12 weeks of Liver Buddy duty, but we just don’t have all the vacation or buddies needed for the job. Someone will need to be hired to cover the additional weeks.
The last thing the extra money will be spent on is co-pays for the many doctor office visits and for the co-pays for the $15,000 per year immune-suppressive drugs that he’ll need to take for the rest of his life to prevent organ rejection.
Don lives alone and does not have a second source of income to fall back on. There’s not really anyone else available who can help him financially. He’s always been a proudly self-reliant man. The thing is, Don’s a genuinely good person. He never hesitates to help others. He’s even served in the forest service as a fire jumper. Now he needs our help.
Please, if you will, and if you can, anything you can donate would be appreciated and important.
If you can't donate, thank you for taking the time to read this.
I’m reaching out to you on behalf of Don Pihl, a friend, coworker, and all-around great guy. Don collapsed in the middle of his workday a year or so ago. That’s when he found out he had liver cancer. Last year he completed chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Then the doctors found a blood clot in his liver. Now a liver transplant is the only way Don’s going to live. The doctors at Washington Medical called on Friday with news they had a liver. Once Don receives a new liver he will no longer be classified as disabled, and he’ll get a new lease on life.
Don’s insurance is requiring him to travel to Seattle for his doctor visits, transplant, and follow up. This program requires him to have specific housing and specific follow-up care (Liver Buddy). He must live in a transplant house that’s going to cost $2000 per month, and he must stay for 3 months. Some coworkers have been able to donate vacation days to help Don cover days when he runs out of sick leave. Friends and family have asked how else to help so we set up this page.
Don is very much in need of money. Most of it will go to help with travel and staffing expenses for his “Liver Buddies” for the 90 days after the transplant and to his post-transplant needs. He’ll need his medication administered and meals cooked for him until he’s able to do it for himself again. Don has to eat an incredible amount of protein which will facilitate in his new liver healing process. After Don is released from ICU, his Liver Buddies have to drive Don back and forth to weekly clinic appointments, accompany him at follow-up appointments, and needs to be on call for any emergency visits. The quality of care provided by Don’s Liver Buddy network after surgery is critical to his survival. Patients with Liver Buddies have a survival rate of 92%. Several of us have volunteered to take our vacation time to help cover the 12 weeks of Liver Buddy duty, but we just don’t have all the vacation or buddies needed for the job. Someone will need to be hired to cover the additional weeks.
The last thing the extra money will be spent on is co-pays for the many doctor office visits and for the co-pays for the $15,000 per year immune-suppressive drugs that he’ll need to take for the rest of his life to prevent organ rejection.
Don lives alone and does not have a second source of income to fall back on. There’s not really anyone else available who can help him financially. He’s always been a proudly self-reliant man. The thing is, Don’s a genuinely good person. He never hesitates to help others. He’s even served in the forest service as a fire jumper. Now he needs our help.
Please, if you will, and if you can, anything you can donate would be appreciated and important.
If you can't donate, thank you for taking the time to read this.
Organizer
Christy Howell
Organizer
Portland, OR
