Help Fund Zach's Kidney Transplant

Hi, my name is Sam McKenzie, and I'm fundraising for my cousin Zach Skudlarek.

In late December of last year, Zach was playing basketball with his brother and friends, getting ready to celebrate the New Year.

A few days later, he was unexpectedly admitted to UCLA Medical Center with high blood pressure and kidney failure at just thirty-two years old. After ten days of hospitalization, the nephrologists determined that Zach had 85% kidney failure due to IGA Nephropathy, a degenerative and incurable kidney disease that requires a kidney transplant.

For those who don't know Zach well, he is one of the nicest, most thoughtful, and generous people you will ever meet. Zach is a talented musician and songwriter who has worked as a restaurant worker, server, bartender, and manager, beloved by customers and colleagues alike. He loves hiking with family and friends and has become an avid birdwatcher. In 2022, Zach made a solo cross-country move from New Hampshire to California, visiting national parks and performing at open mics along the way, embracing life, overcoming inhibitions, and making new friends. He is funny, quick-witted, and has an amazing memory for movie lines, mimicking actors perfectly. Zach is a great listener, friend, and someone I am fortunate to have in my life.

However, Zach now faces a daunting physical and emotional challenge that will take him another year or two to overcome, with many known and unknown costs along the way.

The cost of a kidney transplant averages $450,000. Though his insurance plan should cover 80-90% of the surgical cost, this still leaves $45-$90,000 in co-pays, not including the many other medical bills and associated costs. Zach has been unable to work steadily due to the physical toll of kidney dialysis and the time required at a dialysis center. Despite starting home dialysis, the transition has been very difficult, leaving him unable to work at all during the past two months. His family has been helping him financially to sustain his living situation in LA, but as a responsible young adult who has never relied on others, Zach now depends on family and friends for his financial well-being.

Once a kidney donor is found and the surgery is completed, Zach will be out of work for three to six months and will be on immunosuppressant meds for the rest of his life. The mounting costs are overwhelming.

We need your help. Zach has a loving family that will continue supporting him through the various phases of his care, but the expenses are immense. I started this GoFundMe so family, friends, and acquaintances of Zach who have been asking for ways to help and show support can do so. The funds raised will help defray some of the costs associated with his current and ongoing care.

$50,000 will not entirely cover the costs, but it will help make it possible to afford this life-saving procedure.

Zach will need a transplant. In the coming weeks, he will be going through a battery of tests to determine his fitness for a transplant and his unique physiology in pursuit of a suitable donor. There is no guarantee that we will locate a suitable donor among the family, friends, and acquaintances who might like to be tested. However, many states, including Massachusetts and California, have programs that allow a potential recipient to look beyond their donor circle for potential donors provided someone within their circle is willing to donate to the broader pool. If you have interest in being a potential donor, getting tested as a potential donor, or have questions about being tested, please let us know. We can put you in touch with Zach's transplant team as this process moves forward.

I know that Zach would be among the first to help any of us if we needed it. Please consider helping him during this critical time.

Thank you for your generosity and support.