Hi, my name is Rhonda Harding and I am fundraising to help my sister with the financial obligations for her kidney transplant.

Having health battles starting as a young child, my sister Debbie is now facing the biggest battle of her life. She won the fight against meningitis as a child and against Stage 2 melanoma as a young adult. Now at 58 years old she is in the biggest fight of her life and is on dialysis, waiting for a kidney transplant

Those of you who know me and our family know that it’s no secret that Debbie and I have not had the best relationship. But as my sister I love her and her life does matter. Not only does she have to fight every day to stay as healthy as possible, she also faces huge financial obligations to be ready to travel for a transplant and this can happen at a moments notice.

It’s financially hard times for the majority of us but if we can come together and donate, even the smallest donation will add up to help. The financial stress of this should not be something that Debbie should have to worry about. Managing her health in late stage kidney failure is overwhelming and should be the only thing she has to worry about as her focus does need to be on maintaining her health to be ready when that call for her transplant comes in.

Debbie has been on dialysis now for 1 year the effects of which have been devastating on her energy and mental health and she has been forced to retire from the job she had held for the last 20+ years. This has meant significant changes to her current financial situation. She has been advised that luckily due to her universal blood type the odds of finding a suitable kidney are significantly better. This means we have to try to get as much funds raised, as quick as we can so she doesn’t lose out on this lifesaving opportunity. Even more financial stress will be added at that time as her husband, Jerome, will have to take a leave of absence from his job to travel and be with her during this time.

There are provincial programs that she can avail of however she needs to pay upfront and submit for approval and reimbursement thereafter. Lack of access to money should never be the determining factor in whether someone lives or dies. Please help!!!