Help Paul get kidney transplant surgery!

Please help my brother Paul Dornellas get life saving kidney transplant surgery!

Hello my name is Barbara Brooks I live in Arizona and I am asking for help for my brother Paul in his quest to pay for and possibly find a living kidney donor. He was diagnosed with end stage renal disease last year and has been on dialysis since October 29, 2021.

He is constantly tired and does not have much of an appetite after treatment. He has lost 45lbs. Its so easy to give up but he is fighting for the sake of his wife of 47 years Nancy his daughter Barbara and his 3 beautiful granddaughters Skylar, Lauren and Savannah all of whom he adores and would do anything for. His wife and daughter have been doing so much “driving to dialysis and doctor appointments and such“. His wife Nancy works as a bus driver and if she loses her job things will be much more dire as they would not be able to even pay rent or buy food.

Paul’s medical bills currently exceed $30,000.. His drugs cost nearly $500 a month. Transplant evaluation costs, travel, lodging, food which are not covered by insurance are prohibitive.

Paul was just placed on the transplant list in New York but the doctors told him the wait is about 7 years and if he does not find a living donor he would probably be dead before a kidney becomes available to him. There are states with much lower wait lists (1 ½ -3 years) but again the travel and expenses are mostly out of reach for him. Also the aftercare and rejection medication costs are astronomical. Typically the cost from evaluation to transplant to aftercare can be over $400,000 with coinsurance of approximately 20% in network and 40% out of network leaving him responsible for between $120,000 and $175,000 including living in the transplant city with a caregiver (most likely his wife) for a number of months for follow ups to the surgery. I know it sounds like a lot but Medicare being what it is that is unfortunately the case.

Paul had to give up his 30 year job as a school bus driver which broke his heart because he loved driving and taking care of the children from pre k all the way to high school. Unfortunately the companies he worked for had no retirement plan so he is limited to social security income which most people know barely cuts it.

My brother would do anything for anyone from family to friends to strangers. He has stopped to help change a flat, jump a battery, give a ride. He is a wiz at giving directions “siri has nothing on him” LOL. Paul was diagnosed with Prostrate cancer in September 2014 his doctor scheduled robotic surgery for mid February 2015, then 3 weeks before his surgery Nancy was diagnosed with cancer in her left kidney it needed to be removed but the Da Vinci robotic machine was booked until May with their urologist when Paul heard this he knew right away what he must do! He could not live without her so immediately and without hesitation before leaving the doctor that day he told the surgical coordinator to give his wife his date and that he would wait until May. He also tried to give up the May date so a friend could get prostate surgery his friend refused the gesture! The doctored had a cancelation and Paul and his friend had the surgery on the same day, Paul in the morning and his buddy in the afternoon. They shared a room and both were sent home 2 days later. Sadly his friend passed due to an unrelated incident.

Paul lost his son Stephen to a pulmonary embolism in 2006 he was only 28 years old and married only 1 year. He was not able to give Paul any grandchildren due to his much to early death. Paul was so devastated it took him almost 15 years to travel to Arizona to visit Stephens grave in order to try and get some closure. Though he sat at his grave every day for a week he still refuses to believe his son is gone. Stephens birthday and all major holidays as well as the day he passed Paul cannot be consoled, only his wife, daughter and granddaughters ease the pain on those days. His sisters and brothers also try to help as much as they can, they are spread across the country and usually cant be there on every holiday though they try.

Please help Paul pay for his journey, his wife, daughter and grandchildren are depending on you, they need him to stick around as long as possible, the rest of his family need him as well.

Paul has upcoming evaluation appointments in Washington DC (approx 3 year wait) Pittsburgh PA (3 year wait) Omaha NE (less than 2 year wait) and des Moines IA (less than 2 year wait) he will have to cancel some of these as Medicare won’t cover all these expenses and he just cannot pay for them.

All donations will be used for medical bills, travel, lodging, food etc. to evaluations as well as aftercare and anti rejection medications.

I know Its a lot to ask “Paul would never ask” but If a living donor wishes to donate it would be most welcome and even though he could never repay your kindness I know he would be in your debt FOREVER.

Thank you so much for reading my brothers story. I would also like to Thank you in advance for your generosity! Whatever you can donate will be most appreciated, no amount is too little.

I will post updates as they happen. 

Thank you for helping save my brothers life. ❤️

Barbara Brooks