Bill Kilgore's Kidney Transplant

Hello! My name is William (Bill) Kilgore. Although I have only recently started to share this openly, I have been in end stage renal disease for a while now. The short version is that I need a kidney transplant. Fortunately, I am greatly blessed to have a family member who is donating a kidney, and they were approved at the end of April. I am now in the final stages I have had to go through for this life-saving operation to take place. The surgery is happening through St. Luke’s here in Houston, and my surgery date is July 31, 2024.

The main obstacle left is financial. I am also very blessed to have good health insurance. However, my out-of-pocket costs remain substantial, at least for our current financial status. So, I am launching this donation site in the hopes that I can raise the necessary funds. I have never done one of these before, and I did not think I ever would be doing one for myself. But here we are.

I have put $25,000 as the goal, though my costs will likely be more than that in the end (of course, I will be adding to that as we are able). While this amount may seem quite large to some (it certainly does to us!), this covers several aspects of the process. I have out-of-pocket expenses for every test I have had to have so far, and those bills have already outpaced my ability to pay them. Then there is my cost for the surgery itself. This will be followed by another year of testing after the surgery. It adds up quickly. As a note, the total I have set also takes into account taxes and fees associated with this fundraiser (approximately $5000 will go to taxes and fees).

I realize that my surgery is less than three months away, and that I am launching this right as summer begins. However, I wanted to wait until my donor was approved and I actually had a date for the surgery, as the long process to getting a transplant can fall apart anywhere along the way. Thankfully, that did not happen.

I appreciate everyone’s willingness to read this and consider my plight. If you are able and willing, I would appreciate whatever you can give. No judgments here, as I realize we all have our difficult circumstances. Most of all, if you are a praying person, I greatly appreciate your continued prayers. If you are unable to help me financially at this time, please consider passing this link along to others that you think might be able and willing to help.

All donations will be automatically deposited in a special account I have set aside exclusively for expenses related to the kidney transplant. A few people have asked me about simply giving to me directly. You are certainly welcome to do that, and those people may contact me via Facebook messenger. On a final note, anything left over one year after the transplant surgery will be regifted to other individuals needing a transplant or to St. Luke’s Kidney Center.

May God bless each of you for your consideration.

UPDATE 5/20/2024: I am still a ways off, so please remember to donate and/or share with your networks. However, as of May 20, I have received $5600 in direct donations from individuals. As promised on FB, I have reduced my goal amount accordingly. Thanks and God bless!