Give Susan your kidney!
Donation protected
Ok, maybe you don't need to go that far... But Susan Busenbark-Conger does need a new kidney. She's on the transplant list but it's not that easy.
I went with her this past week to a couple of her dialysis appointments, and at one of them her team of doctors met with her. How eye opening! One of the things she has to do before her transplant is have 3 months worth of living expenses in her bank account. This is so that after surgery she will have the ability and flexibility to take care of herself... To take time off work, to miss work for her appointments without worry of losing pay, to not worry about money and just focus on healing. She is such a trooper, enduring all of the ailments that come with a failing kidney, and still she keeps her positive and happy attitude.
However, she needs our help. Anyone that knows Susan knows that she prefers to keep her personal struggles quiet. So she's very uncomfortable asking for the help - but she really needs it. If a kidney becomes available now and she doesn't have 3 months savings, she loses that spot. She hasn't been able to work full time for months because of her appointments, dialysis appointments, and deteriorated health - which naturally has reduced her ability to build up that savings.
She needs some help from us to get her savings to that number the doctors are looking for, which is just $2500 more.
I asked Susan to tell her story, and here's what she says:
"When I was 21, I was preparing to serve a religious mission. I was going to dedicate myself to service for 18 months, and I was ecstatic. I proceeded to get the medical exams required, and that is when the doctor asked when I had my other kidney removed and did I know that the one that I did have was failing.... Uh, what? I only have one? That was news to me. It's actually pretty common to be born with one kidney and not have a problem with it until something happens to that one kidney.
The nephrologist (kidney doc) performed a biopsy to find out why the kidney was failing and how we could stop the weakness. Without any luck, they sewed me back up and put me on a diet of low sodium and protien diet to protect the 25% function that I had.
From that day forward, I babied that little bean. I followed my docs advice and said goodbye to french fries, frozen meals, and basically anything quick and easy to make.
When I found out that I was pregnant, I knew that it would be high risk. The specialists all recommended that I think long and hard about continuing with the pregnancy. What? I doubted that a little old pregnancy would kill me. Well, thankfully all went ok, and now the world has been blessed with an incredible teenager named Bronson Danger. But, with that joyous blessing, came more stress on the kidney, even though it was definitely worth it.
Then came my next pregnancy seven years later. Twins. Wow. Same old tune with the specialists. "Get rid of both or one, but there is no way that you can live through both." Obviously they didn't know me very well. Yes, it was uncomfortable as heck, and I did have to quit working six months into the pregnancy, but it wasn't going to kill me. My mother had eleven children, for crying out loud. My grandmother was chopping her own wood, and taking care of her farm by herself at 75 before cancer finally slowed her down.
Again, with the blessings of the children did come more stress on the kidney. But I love them so much and am thankful every day for the sacrifices that I make for them.
I am still working, and am very grateful for the medical conveniences that have acted as a kidney to keep me alive today."
Susan is needing to get all of her ducks in a row quickly, not only because of her health but because of the chance that a kidney for her becomes available. Please help with whatever you can, no matter how large or small. We need our Susan around, we love her so much and her children need a healthy mom. Please help me raise this money so Susan can work her way back to health.
Thank you for anything you can give!
I went with her this past week to a couple of her dialysis appointments, and at one of them her team of doctors met with her. How eye opening! One of the things she has to do before her transplant is have 3 months worth of living expenses in her bank account. This is so that after surgery she will have the ability and flexibility to take care of herself... To take time off work, to miss work for her appointments without worry of losing pay, to not worry about money and just focus on healing. She is such a trooper, enduring all of the ailments that come with a failing kidney, and still she keeps her positive and happy attitude.
However, she needs our help. Anyone that knows Susan knows that she prefers to keep her personal struggles quiet. So she's very uncomfortable asking for the help - but she really needs it. If a kidney becomes available now and she doesn't have 3 months savings, she loses that spot. She hasn't been able to work full time for months because of her appointments, dialysis appointments, and deteriorated health - which naturally has reduced her ability to build up that savings.
She needs some help from us to get her savings to that number the doctors are looking for, which is just $2500 more.
I asked Susan to tell her story, and here's what she says:
"When I was 21, I was preparing to serve a religious mission. I was going to dedicate myself to service for 18 months, and I was ecstatic. I proceeded to get the medical exams required, and that is when the doctor asked when I had my other kidney removed and did I know that the one that I did have was failing.... Uh, what? I only have one? That was news to me. It's actually pretty common to be born with one kidney and not have a problem with it until something happens to that one kidney.
The nephrologist (kidney doc) performed a biopsy to find out why the kidney was failing and how we could stop the weakness. Without any luck, they sewed me back up and put me on a diet of low sodium and protien diet to protect the 25% function that I had.
From that day forward, I babied that little bean. I followed my docs advice and said goodbye to french fries, frozen meals, and basically anything quick and easy to make.
When I found out that I was pregnant, I knew that it would be high risk. The specialists all recommended that I think long and hard about continuing with the pregnancy. What? I doubted that a little old pregnancy would kill me. Well, thankfully all went ok, and now the world has been blessed with an incredible teenager named Bronson Danger. But, with that joyous blessing, came more stress on the kidney, even though it was definitely worth it.
Then came my next pregnancy seven years later. Twins. Wow. Same old tune with the specialists. "Get rid of both or one, but there is no way that you can live through both." Obviously they didn't know me very well. Yes, it was uncomfortable as heck, and I did have to quit working six months into the pregnancy, but it wasn't going to kill me. My mother had eleven children, for crying out loud. My grandmother was chopping her own wood, and taking care of her farm by herself at 75 before cancer finally slowed her down.
Again, with the blessings of the children did come more stress on the kidney. But I love them so much and am thankful every day for the sacrifices that I make for them.
I am still working, and am very grateful for the medical conveniences that have acted as a kidney to keep me alive today."
Susan is needing to get all of her ducks in a row quickly, not only because of her health but because of the chance that a kidney for her becomes available. Please help with whatever you can, no matter how large or small. We need our Susan around, we love her so much and her children need a healthy mom. Please help me raise this money so Susan can work her way back to health.
Thank you for anything you can give!
Organizer
RuthAnne Chamberlain
Organizer
Portland, OR