Kia's Liver Transplant Fund

We are raising funds to help my brother-in-law and sister-in-law Nick and Kia Pusc with medical expenses due to liver failure and a transplant.

Kia has been at St Luke's hospital for over a month with a failing liver. This week they transferred her to the U of M via helicopter to do some more testing and stabilize her. She is on the list for a potential liver transplant which should/could happen sooner, rather than later when she stabilizes even more. She has been on a breathing tube in the ICU for the past two weeks and receiving dialysis for kidney problems as well. The doctors took out the breathing tube 2 days ago & she is breathing on her own now.

Kia is at the young age of 31 and has a lot of life left to live. So we are asking for help to get Nick & Kia through this very rough time. Kia does have health insurance, but obviously a great amount of financial strain has been placed on them. Nick has been by her side constantly so he is unable to work right now & has to travel to & from Duluth (and now Minneapolis.)

Here's a statement and story from Kia's beloved coworker and friend (Sue!) at Trail Center Lodge:

"I first met Kia when she was just an itty-bitty child. Her family owns a small bait shop here in the neighborhood on the Gunflint Trail.

Me, I’m a waitress at Trail Center. I really wasn’t involved in her life as she grew up on account of our age difference, but I would very often see her and her Mom walking along the road. That was their thing ~ long walks in the woods together.

One day in May, the beginning of our super busy summer season, she walked into the restaurant & sat down. I came up to the table to take her order & she says, “Do you remember me? I’m Kia and I need a job.”

“Holy crap! Where did the time go?! Weren’t you like, 5 years old last time I saw you?!”

She smiled big. “Well, I’m 21 now. I have never worked in a restaurant before, but I can learn. I’m trainable. Will you teach me?” I looked at her, kind of amazed because to tell you the truth, I found her statements to be quite bold for one so young.

So we did hire her & she became a fine server and a wonderful co-worker. Over the years, she & I became friends. Some customers would ask, now & again, while we were working the floor together, is that your daughter? Heh.

No, but I can say this, she is like a daughter I always wanted but never had. She’s quirky & cool & keeps me up to date on the internet thangs; she’s my IT guy. She writes the silliest funny notes to us employees.

Many people come & go in a restaurant. Most do not stay long and make a career out of it. Most I do not personally ‘fall in love with’ but there are a few. Kia is one of those to me.

I love her. I love the person I have watched her become.

Kia is my friend. I want her to live. Life is good, but gd it, sometimes it is really really hard."