Help Mike Domian Become a Transplant Success Story
Hi Family and Friends. As many of you know, Mike has been battling some health issues for some time now. While our doctors had us heading in the direction of his liver as the source of his challenges, we really didn’t know more than that or that it would become life-threatening.
In May of this year, we were given a name to go with the symptoms – hemochromatosis . This is a genetic disease in which the body loads too much iron. This disease can damage joints, organs, and eventually be fatal. Sadly, we learned the diagnosis too late for preventative treatment, and so we were given the the devastating news that Mike’s liver is all but destroyed by this disease. Doctors told us that Mike's only option for survival is to get a liver transplant. As you can imagine, our heads were, and still are, spinning.
Just when we thought the news couldn’t get any worse, Mike contracted a life-threatening infection. He was admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital and went straight to intensive care, his status was critical condition. We were supposed to be there for transplant evaluation and instead Mike began an immediate fight for his life.
As you can imagine, this was tremendously frightening for me, Zach and Shane. I could not and will not entertain the thought that we could lose him. We thank God that Mike was able to fight off the infection after weeks in the hospital. I wish I could tell you that the worst is over. It's not. Our journey to help Mike survive the damage that this disorder has caused is just beginning.
The battle for Mike's return to health won’t be won without a liver transplant. His tests and evaluations began in May and will continue throughout the summer. The liver transplant team at Yale has warned us that time is not our friend and that Mike must get a transplant as soon as possible.
The support of our friends and family is what has sustained us during this terrible time. So many of you have been wonderful and have asked how you can help. I am sure you can guess that the cost of Mike’s medical care to date plus the upcoming costs with his transplant and recovery are significant. His inability to work has left our family without his income. While this not our usual style, we are setting up this page to collect donations to help defray the costs of the medical treatment Mike desperately needs so he can live. Please feel free to share this with others you think would like to help.
We know that we will continue to have the support of all of our dearest family and friends. Thank you so very much for helping us give Mike the best chance possible. We’ll keep you updated during Mike's journey. In the meantime, we really do feel blessed to have all the positive thoughts and prayers sent our way. Please keep them coming and know that even though we can’t always reach out right away, we’re always grateful.
Signed a very grateful and hopeful Domian family.