Derek's New Liver

Derek "Troll" Leonard is currently awaiting his new liver at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. He was diagnosed with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, a rare disease that effects the liver and lungs, in 2012 and as of July 21st his MELD (Model for End-stage Liver Disease) score was 32. The average MELD score of a liver transplant patient is 26-33.

As a result of Derek's diagnosis his parents, Deb and David Leonard, have lost wages and have incurred large expenses (i.e travel, lodging, meals, etc.). Both David and Deb have exhausted the vacation and paid family medical leave available to them, and are currently relying on their closest friends and family for support.

This has been an exhausting 5 years, both emotionally and financially for Derek's family.  Deb and David could receive a call any day that Derek will be going into surgery for his transplant. It's imperative that they are there to support him prior to his surgery, and for the duration of his recovery. 

We are very excited for Derek to finally get his life back. For the last 5 years he has suffered immeasurably because of this horrible disease. He has experienced kidney issues, fluid on his lungs, severe cramping, infections, blood clots, etc. Derek's liver transplant is long overdue.

I'd like to ask everyone that knows Derek to please consider donating a few dollars to help ease his family's financial burden. Our goal is to raise $10,000 which will be used to pay for gas, hotels, food, and lost wages.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. I'll post updates as often as I can. For those of you who are unable to donate, your thoughts and prayers are just as appreciated. 

Any money that is not used from this campaign will be donated to the Alpha-1 Foundation. 

Thanks in advance!