Rick and Kalle met with his new liver doctor yesterday. The doctor was very attentive and went over everything that was worrying Rick and Kalle and then asked if they had been referred over to the transplant team. They informed them they had not. The doctor left the room to go speak with the Director of Hepatology. Both doctors came in and told them that Rick's only chance of survival would be at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonsville, Florida since Rick is considered a special case. They let Rick and Kalle know that he would not be accepted into the transplant program at UK. The doctors said the best they can do is go ahead and start running tests and doing bloodwork that they know would only benefit Rick with his referral to Mayo Clinic. They said they can try to maintain him until they can get moved back to Florida. They are very concerned with the fluid retention that his kidneys are being affected. The doctors have him on diuretics 3X a day that they have had to adjust a few times already and adjusted again yesterday as basically a Hail Mary pass to get his kidneys to act right.

My sister, Heather, and I do not want to lose our brother this early in life. He has a wife, 5 children, multiple nieces and nephews and his sisters that do not want to see him pass away.

We need help getting Rick and his family back to Florida so he has a fighting chance to live. I know we had came to all of you to get Rick here from Alabama but we thought UK would have been the best choice for what was going on with him at the time. His bloodwork still shows a pre-leukemia. The liver transplant will actually help with his bloodwork because we found out that this is just a part of his cirrhosis.

The donations will be used for moving expenses as they will have to hire a moving company this time. In the past Rick has been able to load the heavy items and drive the truck, but this past time he ended up admitted to the hospital the day after the move. At this time he must use mobility devices to even get around so he's definitely not able to do any heavy lifting or long distance drives on his own. The donations will also help them get settled into a place, deposits, food, cover gas for trips to the hospital, and any medical bills he acquires before being switched and approved for Florida insurance.

This is our only shot to save his life. We hate to have to ask for help again but without it I am afraid I'm going to lose my brother, Kalle her husband, and the kids their father. He is still so young, and his children are not even grown yet. He needs more time on this earth with his loved ones. Thank you for any and all help.