Help give Dee a new lease on life

Dee is a mother to two fantastic daughters, one step-daughter, and the grandmother to three amazing grandchildren. She is full of love and kindness, but she needs our help.

As a child, she was diagnosed with Type I diabetes and has struggled her entire life to manage her diet, activities, and health. As we all know, diabetes is extremely harsh on a person’s health, affecting every part of life. Due to this, in 2016 Dee suffered a series of mild strokes and a major stroke that placed her in a coma for almost a week. When she awoke, she struggled with memory, movement, and speech. Her doctors did not provide a positive prognosis, but what they didn’t know is that Dee is a fighter.

After months in the hospital and in a rehab center, she was able to walk, talk, and resume her passion of painting. However, diabetes didn’t stop there. After a severe infection, Dee was forced to have one kidney and part of her lung removed, eventually placing her on dialysis with a diagnosis of end stage renal failure.

Her daily life now is filled with glucose checks, managing her insulin doses, and peritoneal dialysis for 8 hours every night at home. She continues to fight each day and has worked to improve her level of health to the point she has now been approved for a kidney and pancreas transplant!

The great news is that she is on the transplant waitlist. The part we need to help her with is post-surgery. Dee has to take a support person with her to KU Health System in Kansas City where they will both remain for about 2 months until she is fully released to return to Wichita. This is a requirement to get on the transplant list. Dee has chosen her wife, Judi, as her support person. Judi will need to attend every appointment with Dee in order to learn the life-long medication and treatment regimen that Dee will complete daily for the remainder of her life. The only issue is Judi is self-employed and will not be able to work or receive income for the two months she is in Kansas City.

Dee and Judi will be responsible for paying for lodging and food during the two month stay in Kansas City. Additionally, they will still need to pay their monthly expenses in Wichita. Without Judi’s income, this will be impossible. We are asking that you please consider donating and/or sharing this request so that financial strain is not a concern while Dee recovers in Kansas City. We are excited to help Dee through the transplant process as she has waited almost 7 years for this opportunity. She is anxious to spend time with family and friends without the need to constantly check her glucose or rush home to start dialysis. Help us give Dee a new lease on life! Thank you so much for the help.