Help Brianna Survive Until She Gets A Transplant
Donation protected
Some of you may know who Brianna Rhodes is. Most of you don't. Please allow me describe her to you, as someone I've grown to care for as a friend and confidante, and someone whom I've grown to love deeply since we crossed paths in 2015, well after her residency in Boston had ended.
Brianna is someone who has always unselfishly put the care of others ahead of herself, always willing to sacrifice everything she can in order to care for the people around her.
In 2013, Brianna left Boston for upstate New York to care for her aging grandfather, whom she lovingly referred to as her Papa, as his live-in personal care assistant. She cared for him every day and every night, cooking for him, cleaning, and refusing to allow him to feel alone during his few remaining years.
After a series of blows, her situation deteriorated rapidly. Among multiple incidents, her beloved Papa passed away in 2018 triggering an intense depression. A year later, Brianna suffered physically from a roll-over car accident. Due to a series of legal entanglements, she was no longer able to remain at her Papa's home while serving as the executrix of his estate, in accord with his final wishes. Her sister was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Ever the caretaker, she poured herself into helping to care for her little sister while trying to stabilize her living situation and juggling legal responsibilities as executrix. Faced with a deep depression, very little emotional support, and mounting pressure, an already vulnerable Brianna fell into alcohol addiction. Unfortunately, she soon landed into a living situation that proved to be incredibly toxic with a highly abusive alcoholic roommate, exacerbating her own struggles with addiction.
Chronic stress and complications began to take an increasingly heavier toll on Brianna's health, and she began rapidly losing weight. Unfortunately, this year, Brianna received the worst news possible. After finally getting seen at the ER, and while still stuck with her abusive roommate, she was diagnosed with stage 4 liver disease. Terminal -- and unless she receives a transplant -- Brianna was initially given approximately 2-4 years left to live and had a screening scheduled for January of 2022 to determine her suitability for a liver transplant.
Even that time-frame turned out to be inaccurate. As of today, Friday, October 17th, 2021, Brianna's health has deteriorated rapidly and her prognosis has worsened. Without a liver transplant, it is highly likely that she will not survive through to the end of the year.
A race is on to help find a suitable donor. While her health, addiction, and recovery remain, her top focus she has finally left the toxic apartment and has moved back into her Papa's old home. Thankfully, she is able to remain there for as long as she needs. It isn't ideal but she is safe, and without any income to support herself.
- Without income, she cannot afford the basics of survival: food, clothing (she has lost a shocking amount of weight over the last twelve months), and shelter -- her Papa's home has fallen into a neglected state, and she needs her utilities functional as winter is approaching.
- Without income, she cannot afford any medications to manage the daily pain she is in. Because of damage to her liver, the only pain reliever she can take is through her doctor approved medical cannabis license through the State of New York; however, it is not covered under insurance. Brianna currently has no at home care, and her application for disability and food stamps is pending.
- Without income, she cannot make it to her necessary medical appointments. She needs to cover transportation to and from her transplant-specific medical appointments from her Papa's home in Schenectady, NY to Syracuse, NY.
Which brings me to here, the TL;DR:
Brianna Rhodes is someone who has always put the welfare of others ahead of her own and now one of the kindest and most unselfish people I've ever known is, herself, in need of the kindness of strangers.
If you are able, please help to keep Brianna afloat. Any amount helps!
If you are unable, please share her story widely. The less on her plate to carry, the better it is on her while she and her medical team search for a liver donor to try and save her life.
Brianna has a difficult path in front of her but, God willing, it's only a matter of time until a donor is found. Hopefully, one can be found in time. Then her real journey towards recovery and healing can begin.
She's not there yet but miracles happen, after all, right?
This campaign is intended to help Brianna secure the resources needed to cover the basics of living that she needs to survive while her medical team searches for a suitable liver donor, her operation when one is found, her recovery, her healing, and beyond. She cannot survive without your kindness.
If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read Brianna's story.
Organizer and beneficiary
Adrian Feliciano
Organizer
Schenectady, NY
Brianna Rhodes
Beneficiary
