Help Bob Lund in his Liver Transplant Journey

Hi everyone,

 

Our names are Candace & Sherri Bowles.

 

Bob Lund, who is originally from Elkhorn, is in need of our help. For those who don’t know, Bob was admitted into the hospital three years ago. He was experiencing terrible pain in his abdomen and the doctors believed that his appendix was about to burst. When the doctors performed the surgery to remove the appendix, they found that the reason for his discomfort was his liver. The doctor commented that his liver looked like cobblestone.

 

Bob has never been a drinker and has never used drugs. The doctors believe that the liver has been affected by his diabetes medication as well as a possible fatty liver and 3 years later the liver is no longer performing its functions.

 

The liver is no longer filtering out the harmful toxins in his system and as a result, ammonia builds up in his stomach. When this happens Bob can experience extreme confusion. He is having great difficulty attending his kid’s hockey games and is having difficulty performing day-to-day functions.

 

To address this, the doctors are removing 5 liters of fluid from his stomach every few days, but as a result of that treatment, many of the proteins required to maintain his muscle mass are also being flushed from his system. Bob has lost most of his muscle and continues to lose what is left.

 

Bob’s best chance for survival is a liver transplant from a living donor. Donors must be between 18 and 60 years of age, and have a compatible blood type for the recipient. Bob has an A+ blood type, and therefore needs a portion of a liver from someone who is either a A+, A-, or an O blood type.

 

Bob just had an appointment with the specialist and they mentioned that Bob and Birgit would need to pay their own way to Toronto as well as the Donors way for the transplant when they find a donor, which is hopefully sooner rather than later. Bob is also receiving medication to keep his pain and symptoms under control until he is able to receive the transplant, which is very costly.

 

Bob has had to quit his job as his body no longer allows him to work. His family recently moved from Oakville to Portage so his wife Birgit could be closer to work and they could be closer to the everyday essentials. Glynis and Bubba, along with Ash, have been taking on extra road trips to assist with the kids and their activities. Long nights and long travel days have been had in order to ensure the kids are still able to get to their sporting events when Bob is no longer able to attend and needs to be monitored.

 

We have put together this page to support the Lund family as they go through this difficult journey. The costs will continue to increase as time goes on and we want to do anything we can to assist in getting Bob and his family back to living their normal lives. Any donation is appreciated and we thank you for your support in advance!

 

Thank you,

 

Candace & Sherri