Matt Hassen's Kidney Transplant
Hello and thank you for taking the time to read my story! I was diagnosed with kidney disease three years ago and last year my kidneys entered "end stage renal failure" which meant I needed a donor as soon as possible.
I have been lucky to have been surrounded by friends and family support through this whole process and one of those friends, a former co-worker, has stepped up to donate one of his kidneys! His name is Josh Hackett and he is one amazing friend.
My surgery will be taking place on November 8th at Vancouver General Hospital and I'll be in Vancouver recovering for three months. If all goes well I will be able to get home to finish off my recovery which will take another seven months (longer than normal because of my Type 1 Diabetes).
This has already been a year of blood and tissue matching and my kidneys are currently at 10% functioning capacity. My total recovery time will be 10-12 months and I will be unable to work for seven of those months. Medical EI is only able to cover 15 weeks so I'm hoping that some of you will be able to help me out. I understand times are tough for a lot of us but any help would be greatly appreciated! I love you all very much and I can’t wait to see everyone again!
The BC HOSPITALITY FOUNDATION is supporting me through a matching fundraiser I'm throwing at The Owl Pub (7603 Spartan Drive, Osoyoos, British Columbia) on Saturday October 14th. They are matching dollar for dollar raised up to $5000!! That means, we can turn that $5,000 into $10,000, which will allow me to rest and recover, without worrying about my bills. You can learn more about this unique, made-in-BC industry charity at
www.bchospitalityfoundation.com
