Hello all!

My name is Leroy Denson and I am here asking for your help. I am a US Navy veteran and a former tour bus driver by profession. I went back to school and achieved a BS and MA in history by 2021. My goal is to be a writer of historical fiction and I am almost finished with my first novella about my large family and their lives in a small Nebraska town (1880-1930s).

What’s stopping me right now is stage 4 kidney failure. I endure dialysis three days a week at 3 hrs per day. I am thankful that it’s saved my life, but it’s hard. I am so tired after treatment that all I want to do is eat and then go to sleep.

It’s been 2 years with dialysis and I decided in late 2023 to try for a kidney transplant at St. Luke’s in Kansas City, MO. I have gone through many tests over the last year and it’s looking good health-wise for becoming eligible for the transplant waiting list.

One problem: They are pressuring me to have thousands of dollars saved to pay for anti-rejection drugs that are not covered by my Medicare insurance plan for the first year after surgery. I am medically retired and my wife is retired as well. Social Security doesn’t allow me to save anything and we, in fact, rely on Salvation Army every month for a couple of bags of groceries. With the food inflation, you know how it is, I am sure!

What else can I say besides that I rely on the generosity of the common man. I am swallowing my pride in asking for your help so that I can feel well enough to write again.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Leroy D.