On Thanksgiving Eve, 2015 my close friend Fred was stricken with Pancreatitis. He was hospitalized for almost a year, in a coma for some of it. The surgery for the pancreatitis, plus multiple internal infections only made it worse. One result of the event was that Fred's kidneys eventually failed. I tried to donate and I was disqualified. Fred was in dialysis for about a year, and he eventually found a living donor, a former co-worker, Cami. Fred received his kidney a few weeks ago and is still recovering, hoping all continues to go well. Fred's medical conditions have been an obstacle to him obtaining any paid employment since the event, although he continued to volunteer at his church part-time, as he has for many years prior, and still does today. He is on Medicare. Transplant surgery is expensive and he will have significant bills to pay even after insurance. Fred is a great man, father and husband to Sandy for 37 years. Fred and I met 34 years ago, at Osco Drug, he was my boss, and we instantly became friends. If you're religious, know that Fred has been a devoted Christian for many years, volunteering for decades at Willow Creek in Illinois, and currently at Central Christian in Arizona. 

If you can help, please do, no amount is too little. Fred will need help with:
- Hospital deductibles and co-insurance
- Prescriptions to avoid kidney rejection
- Expenses incurred for past and current travel to the hospital, doctor visits, dialysis
- Inability to work to make an income, and his wife Sandy's time off to help Fred with all of this
- Leftover dialysis bills
- Physician charges not billed by the hospital

Fred has been a great friend, mentor, and role model to me, and to many others over his lifetime. Please help if you can, my friend will be forever grateful.