Help Karen Get Her Kidney

I am helping fundraise for my sister-in-law, Karen Vukelich. Anyone that knows Karen knows that she is one of the most loving and giving individuals you will ever meet. Now it is our turn to give to her.

At the age of nine, Karen was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). PKD is an inherited disorder in which clusters of cysts develop primarily within your kidneys, causing your kidneys to enlarge and lose function over time. As PKD cysts continue to form they slowly replace much of the kidneys, reducing kidney function. There is no cure for PKD. As the disease progresses it leads to kidney failure resulting in the need of ongoing kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Karen and her family have long been battling this hereditary disease. Five family members have the disease and one passed away due to a brain aneurysm which is a side effect of PKD. To date, three family members have successfully undergone kidney transplants. Karen is the last PKD carrier and will be the fourth to receive a transplant.

With the disease progressing rapidly over the last 12 months, Karen needs to have the transplant this fall. She will be in good hands with the medical team in Winston-Salem but the toll this surgery will have on Karen is going to be tremendous - physically, mentally and financially. Out-of-pocket medical bills will be well into the thousands in addition to the cost of the continuous travel required for follow-up visits. And while Karen has health insurance, many transplant expenses are surprisingly not covered, including anti-rejection medication (upwards of $5,000/month) that will be required for the life of her new kidney.

Karen and Chad have already started paying for some of these expenses so the ask is for friends, family or anyone that is able to lend a helping hand, to please give what you can to relieve the financial burden that is taking hold so that Karen and Chad can focus on healing.