For Rob’s Kidney Donor

Hi there!

 

Thanks for visiting our page! As many of you likely know, my dad has been battling kidney failure for many years now. After contracting a flesh eating bacteria from the ocean in 2015, the multiple rounds of intensive antibiotics killed the infection at the cost of severely damaging his kidney function. He has spent the last 6 years depending on every other day dialysis treatments to take on the job of his kidney to clean his blood. While we are thankful that this procedure has the ability to keep him alive day after day, the treatments are both mentally and physically exhausting and are quite literally taking a toll on his body.

Within the past year, my dad has worked hard to improve his overall health and become eligible for a kidney transplant. This surgery would free my dad of his dialysis machine, and give our family many more years with our amazing dad. My siblings and I, along with lots of brave and loving friends and family members, have undergone testing and have been deemed ineligible for donation. However, our last remaining potential donor is in her final stage of testing, and we are very hopeful that this is the match we’ve been praying for.

Just to give you all an understanding of how selfless and giving this woman is, here is the backstory: she attended elementary school with my dad back when he lived in New Orleans. They lost touched when he moved to Atlanta during high school, but sometime later reconnected online (thanks Facebook!). She saw my dads post searching for donors and was insistent on getting tested to pay forward all the kindness that my dad showed her though their childhood. This story has reminded me how important it is to be kind and considerate to everyone you meet, for you may never know the difference you make in their lives.

Now that we are preparing for the final stages of testing and a potential (and hopeful) surgery, we are asking our family and friends to come together and show this woman the love and appreciation that she deserves. My dad has always given all of himself to his work, his community organizations, and his family/friends, and in typical Rob fashion, his main concern going into surgery is that his donor is set up for success. And since organ purchasing is illegal (believe me, I’ve considered it) my dad is not able to provide financial assistance himself. It’s now time for us to take care of him and help him prepare his donor for surgery. Our goal is to raise enough money to cover the remainder of her medical bills, time off of work, travel, expenses of her 3 children, etc.

My dads strength and perseverance through the many hard tests, procedures, dialysis sessions, etc. has been so inspiring, and I so look forward to the day that our family can put behind our worries of our dads health. And Noah is much looking forward to the day that he does not have to carry over 250 pounds worth of dialysis supplies on each vacation! Again, thank you to everyone that has supported us along this journey. And a very special thank you to our (hopeful) donor, along with every single other person that considered donating or got tested. Our family is eternally grateful to you all.

 

Much love and blessings,

Laina, Noah’s back & the Latzsch Family