Jeff Grundy's Liver Transplant

Diagnosis

In November 2017, without warning, in what was only meant to be a routine doctor visit, the Grundy family received the terrible news that Jeff had liver cancer. Fast forward a couple months, after 3 doses of radiation in December and January, there was actually some hope that the radiation was positively attacking the liver cancer.

But by April, Jeff was still not feeling himself. The radiation impact was taking its toll, plus Jeff also had to deal with hemochromatosis, which is an iron overload that can poison organs. Unfortunately, this perfect storm stopped the liver from being able to regenerate itself, which quickly put Jeff into liver failure. 

We're not quite sure yet what stage of liver failure Jeff is in, nor do we know yet exactly where he will fall in the transplant priority list. We should know more of all that in the coming weeks (late July) as he takes a whole bunch of tests which will formalize and finalize the process of officially getting Jeff on the waiting list for a liver transplant. 

What Now

What we do know is that what Jeff (and his family) are dealing with are mentally and physically taxing. If we, as a community of friends and family who are close to the Grundy family, can help out in any fashion, I know that I would jump at the chance. That's why I have decided to create this GoFundMe page, to at least try to help provide some relief on the medical expense front. 

Jeff's Day to Day

For those of you who know Jeff well, you know that he is the type of man who will not let anything slow him down, and won't complain, and he will continue to be the dedicated hard worker who is working 12 hours a day in order to provide for his family no matter what the situation. While he has continued to maintain this mentality to this day, as each day goes by, the more difficult it is becoming, He is dealing with intense, frequent cramping in his hands and feet (which leads to many sleepless nights), as well as extreme leg swelling. Things that were once easy, are becoming physically taxing tasks, like just getting in and out of the car. He also has to be on an extremely low sodium diet, so he has to watch what he eats, because if he has anything high in sodium, the cramping will intensify more. However, this is a Catch 22, because his diet can't be too low of sodium, because this can have a negative impact on his kidneys, and if he has bad kidneys, he cannot qualify for being on the liver transplant list. 

What Next - Use of Funds - How You Can Help

As I mentioned above, any immediate relief we can provide on the expenses front, would be greatly appreciated. Funds will be used for:

1) out of pocket medical bills, especially when the transplant happens,

2) travel and lodging to/from Wilmington to Chapel Hill, which is a 2.5-3 hr drive - the specialists are few and far between in Wilmington, and there are good ones at UNC Medical Center, so that is where their doctors are and that is where the transplant will take place,

3) Possible lost wages during the recovery period from the transplant

Thank you very much for reading this far. You've already demonstrated a level of concern for Jeff that means a lot to him and his family. Whether you decide to donate, share, or do both, you will be providing a tremendous service to the Grundy family and all of their relatives and friends, a service that we will all be eternally thankful for.

Blessings to all. Have a wonderful day, and thank you again!