Medical & Expenses for Joe Dietterich, Buffalo, NY

Where to even begin? 

After a series of devastating losses going back nearly two years now, and a constant fight and countless hours of hard work trying to pick up the pieces, I was presented with perhaps the biggest and most challenging blow at the end of June, 2020 when I was diagnosed with severe liver failure after a week-long hospital stay. There was not, and still is not, a definite cause that’s been determined (though alcohol use was ruled out due to my seldom drinking at all aside from socially when I was much younger). There hasn’t even been full control or management of the major, nearly incapacitating symptomsof severe swelling/Edema and ascites, which is accumulation and retention of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Despite these painful and serious symptoms I have and do continue to work as much as possible at my new “career” as a professional livery driver on various ride hail platforms locally, in an effort to keep a roof over my head and a healthy diet to assist in my recovery.

I have already lost nearly everything: most of my possessions, a home, a career of two decades; I have zero resources, no family, and no friends locally. The one major thing I have continued to work to hold on to is the collection of things related to my main passion, that I have worked tirelessly through the years to gather andpreserve: the artefacts that I call the Buffalo Retail History Archive. I can not even begin to fathom losing that tangible sign of my dedicated historical research into the golden age of retail in the WNY area. Due to my situation and having little time to devote to anything but working to persevere through this and manage these major health complications the Archive has been placed into storage and I am having trouble maintaining that storage (and am physically incapable of moving things elsewhere even if I had the option). It is this concern on top of my ongoing fight to push forward as best as I can manage that has brought me to create this fund raising effort. It’s difficult not to mention depressing to get into all the reasons why things have led to this, but without any other options or resources I humbly ask for consideration and financial assistance via the GoFundMe platform. 

The lead image is of me in happier, healthier times. I will attach my most recent “mirror selfie” to try and show my current physical state being  so swollen and having roughly 15 litres estimated of fluid trapped in my abdomen, which is regularly drained in hospital twice weekly, with a maximum of 5 litres able to be removed atone time. The platform doesn’t allow for a full photo to show up, unfortunately  

With much humility and gratitude,
Joe Dietterich