For as long as I’ve known Kerri Burke, she is and has been as selfless as they come. Always putting everyone else’s wants and needs before her own. She and her husband Phillip have been married for 29 years and have 4 children together. She also happens to be our All-star Director here at The Rock Athletics!

Kerri has a genetic illness called Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). PKD is an inherited disorder in which fluid-filled cysts develop primarily within your kidneys, causing your kidneys to enlarge and lose function over time.

Kerri received a kidney transplant 14+ years ago and has been able to live her life fully since. About 2 1/2 years ago, that kidney began to fail. She has been through countless ups and downs looking for eligible donors, multiple trips to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville for appointments, mental and physical struggles, dialysis 3 times per week, COVID! All the while continuing to show up every single day for her family and our Rock Family.

In February 2022; Kerri's dear friend Erica Hackworth (who is also the director of our special needs program here at The Rock), reached out to her about being her potential donor. Unfortunately, Erica is not an exact match for Kerri. Erica then began researching a program called the Paired Donation Program, which is located at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. The Paired Donation Program is best described as:

"For paired donation, donors and their recipients aren't compatible for a transplant. However, the donor of each pair is compatible with the recipient of the other pair. If both donors and recipients are willing, your doctors may consider a paired donation. This program provides a way for people to receive a living-donor transplant instead of being on the deceased-donor waiting list for several years."

Erica began months of testing and interviews to be accepted onto this list of live donors for the program. Ultimately, she was accepted and Erica donated her kidney on October 5, 2022. This gave Kerri the hope she had been so patiently waiting for. Erica's selfless act just gave Kerri an even bigger chance of finding a donor to save her life.

This morning Kerri received the phone call she has been waiting on for 2 1/2 long years, SHE IS GETTING HER KIDNEY YALL! She is on her way to Jacksonville! This has been such a long and mentally agonizing road for Kerri and her family. Our hearts and full and bursting waking to the news!

Now is our time to step up for Kerri in the way she has for us. If all goes smoothly, she will be receiving her transplant this afternoon!

After her transplant, she and Phillip will need to stay in Jacksonville for about 1 month. She will have multiple appointments and tests to monitor her new kidney and ensure that her body is accepting it without complications. Unfortunately, this stay will come with costs that are not 100% covered by insurance. They will have to find a place to stay for the month and would love for it to be large enough so that their children could come and visit them over the next 4 weeks or so.

I would like to help take some of that financial burden off her and her family with this GoFundMe. These funds will specifically go towards her entire month-long stay in Jacksonville (hotel, food, gas, etc.), travel costs for her kids to come and see her while she is there, and any additional medical costs that insurance may not cover for her transplant. Any amount is truly appreciated!

Thank you for reading and please continue to pray every day for Kerri, her family, and all of her doctors and nurses.