Help Dan Recover from Kidney Transplant
Donation protected
They’re Too Young To Worry About All This
Hi! I am the favorite (okay, one of the favorite) Aunts of two delightful young 30-somethings who are faced with life issues that normally face much older couples. After watching them make their way through these challenges, I want to help. And I suspect you will want to help them financially, too.
Dan, my nephew by marriage, will shortly receive a new kidney. While we have our fingers crossed that all goes well and that he and Beth (his wife; my niece) can soon resume a “normal” life, we know that they are under severe financial stress. Others their age are making plans to start a family. Beth and Dan are trying to figure out how to pay their medical bills, mortgage, utilities, etc. They are one income short for a good part of this year because Dan hasn’t been able to work consistently and Beth takes time off work to be Dan’s listening ears at medical appointments.
Beth and Dan, Lovers Of All Things Disney
My niece, Beth, has a heart for helping others. She’s always wanted to make things better for those around her. My guess that is what led her to become an Occupational Therapist where she helps people who have had life-changing medical events learn to thrive once again.
A few years ago, she met her “Disney prince”, Dan. They knew they were perfect for each other when they discovered a shared love of chicken fingers and a compulsive need to organize the jelly packets at restaurants.
How Did Dan Get Here Medically?
While they were dating, Dan underwent major surgery to have his colon removed due to ulcerative colitis that responded to no other treatment. That surgery had unexpected complications and set him back significantly, both medically and financially. But, eventually he recovered well enough that he could enjoy their fairy-tale wedding in 2017. Only able to afford a brief “mini-moon”, they snuck away for three days around Disney World (picture below)- guess who gave them the adorable hats? :)
With both of them working full-time—Dan creates the designs and specifications for store fixtures produced in his employer’s workshop—they felt financially secure enough to purchase their first house together. And, like any young couple, they set about making their house into a lovely home.
And then......Dan’s health began to decline again. He had known since he was a teenager that his kidney functioning was decreasing. But the doctors estimated that no special treatment would be needed until he was much older. But last summer it became apparent that action was going to be needed sooner than later. He was placed on the kidney transplant list early this year.
There Is Good And Bad News
The good news is that we found a match for Dan, so he will receive a direct transplant from a “living donor”. The transplant is scheduled for early this June. Dan has good insurance (thankfully), but even with medical insurance, transplants are extremely costly.
There is challenging news, though. He has missed a lot of work this year due to being unwell. End-stage kidney disease will do that to you, they tell me. So, their income from the year has been reduced to about half. Plus, it appears that he will have no short-term disability coverage for the time he is unable to work after the surgery. And the anti-rejection medications he will have to take for the rest of his life will be costly to them as insurance doesn't cover these medications.
Won’t You Help Them?
Having a little extra money to pay the on-going bills will help relieve one stress in the lives of these two amazing young adults. If they can worry a little less about how they are going to pay the next round of bills, they can focus instead on getting well and getting back to focusing on doing they jobs well, being good neighbors, and maybe, just maybe, starting that family they dream of creating.
Martha (Marty) Connelly, Beth's aunt
Note from Dan and Beth: Thank you all for taking the time to read this. Thank you all for your prayers, kind words and support. We are so grateful to have such supporting families and friends!We love you all!
Hi! I am the favorite (okay, one of the favorite) Aunts of two delightful young 30-somethings who are faced with life issues that normally face much older couples. After watching them make their way through these challenges, I want to help. And I suspect you will want to help them financially, too.
Dan, my nephew by marriage, will shortly receive a new kidney. While we have our fingers crossed that all goes well and that he and Beth (his wife; my niece) can soon resume a “normal” life, we know that they are under severe financial stress. Others their age are making plans to start a family. Beth and Dan are trying to figure out how to pay their medical bills, mortgage, utilities, etc. They are one income short for a good part of this year because Dan hasn’t been able to work consistently and Beth takes time off work to be Dan’s listening ears at medical appointments.
Beth and Dan, Lovers Of All Things Disney
My niece, Beth, has a heart for helping others. She’s always wanted to make things better for those around her. My guess that is what led her to become an Occupational Therapist where she helps people who have had life-changing medical events learn to thrive once again.
A few years ago, she met her “Disney prince”, Dan. They knew they were perfect for each other when they discovered a shared love of chicken fingers and a compulsive need to organize the jelly packets at restaurants.
How Did Dan Get Here Medically?
While they were dating, Dan underwent major surgery to have his colon removed due to ulcerative colitis that responded to no other treatment. That surgery had unexpected complications and set him back significantly, both medically and financially. But, eventually he recovered well enough that he could enjoy their fairy-tale wedding in 2017. Only able to afford a brief “mini-moon”, they snuck away for three days around Disney World (picture below)- guess who gave them the adorable hats? :)
With both of them working full-time—Dan creates the designs and specifications for store fixtures produced in his employer’s workshop—they felt financially secure enough to purchase their first house together. And, like any young couple, they set about making their house into a lovely home.
And then......Dan’s health began to decline again. He had known since he was a teenager that his kidney functioning was decreasing. But the doctors estimated that no special treatment would be needed until he was much older. But last summer it became apparent that action was going to be needed sooner than later. He was placed on the kidney transplant list early this year.
There Is Good And Bad News
The good news is that we found a match for Dan, so he will receive a direct transplant from a “living donor”. The transplant is scheduled for early this June. Dan has good insurance (thankfully), but even with medical insurance, transplants are extremely costly.
There is challenging news, though. He has missed a lot of work this year due to being unwell. End-stage kidney disease will do that to you, they tell me. So, their income from the year has been reduced to about half. Plus, it appears that he will have no short-term disability coverage for the time he is unable to work after the surgery. And the anti-rejection medications he will have to take for the rest of his life will be costly to them as insurance doesn't cover these medications.
Won’t You Help Them?
Having a little extra money to pay the on-going bills will help relieve one stress in the lives of these two amazing young adults. If they can worry a little less about how they are going to pay the next round of bills, they can focus instead on getting well and getting back to focusing on doing they jobs well, being good neighbors, and maybe, just maybe, starting that family they dream of creating.
Martha (Marty) Connelly, Beth's aunt
Note from Dan and Beth: Thank you all for taking the time to read this. Thank you all for your prayers, kind words and support. We are so grateful to have such supporting families and friends!We love you all!
Organizer
Daniel Hartmann
Organizer
Delafield, WI