Support Daniel through his Stem Cell & Kidney Transplants

On Thursday October 3rd, Daniel Zimmerman will reach a major milestone in his journey to get well as he undergoes a Stem Cell Transplant using cells donated from his Uncle Tom. The experimental procedure marks the first step, which if successful, will allow Tom to then donate a kidney to Daniel sometime next year.

In September, he was admitted to Stanford Children's Hospital to begin grueling chemotherapy and radiation treatments preparing him for the transplant. Along with his parents, Christine and Scott, Daniel has been in California since the end of July, undergoing dialysis as well as an immunotherapy regimen developed by doctors to give him the best chance of a cure. Doctors expect him to be hospitalized into November and then to remain in Palo Alto for follow-up care through January 2025. In addition to helping pay for medical costs, this campaign will be used to cover the living expenses associated with their long stay out in California.

Throughout his illness, Daniel has shown tremendous determination, resilience, and grit. During his second year at the University of Virginia, he was diagnosed with IgA vasculitis, an autoimmune disease. Despite numerous drugs and therapies, he lost his kidneys and began hemodialysis eight months later. While he continued his studies, the process of finding a kidney donor began. Scott was identified as an excellent match, and on July 7, 2022 Daniel received a “new” kidney from his father.

The surgeries were a success, but the happiness was short-lived. Soon after the transplant, Daniel suffered a recurrence of the IgA vasculitis. His care team at UVA Medical Center coordinated treatments, infusions, and hospitalizations to save the kidney, but all efforts eventually failed. By March of 2023, Daniel resumed dialysis, a heart-wrenching outcome for him and his entire family.

As with each previous setback and disappointment, Daniel and those around him kept moving and looking ahead. He walked the Lawn at UVA twice, first to accept his undergraduate degree, and a year later, his Master of Public Health. In the meantime his parents and doctors worked to figure out what medical intervention might combat his disease and allow him to have another kidney transplant.

With hope and optimism for the future, thank you for your support