A New Kidney For Mike
Donation protected
ABOUT ME
Hi, my name is Michael Kineke, age 36. My wife, Sara, and I have been married for 13 years. We have three children, two girls and one boy, ages 3 to 9.
I have a bachelor’s degree in music education from Houghton College and a graduate degree in music education from the New York State University at Buffalo. I’m a music teacher for the Niagara Falls City School District, teaching band to students in grades 4-6.
I’m very active in my church, Kenmore Alliance, in the Town of Tonawanda, where I serve on the worship team and volunteer with the children’s ministries. As a young man, I earned the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scout Troop 9 in Ilion, NY.
Combine that scouting experience with growing up in the countryside of Central New York State, and it results in having a huge passion for nature and the outdoors! I really enjoy gardening, bird watching, and hiking. And, I also love to cook for my family using the fresh vegetables and herbs I grow in our back yard.
MY PKD STORY
How often do you think about your kidneys? Maybe once a year, during your annual physical? Maybe if you happen to talk to someone about he or she having kidney problems? Maybe never?
Likewise, most of us don’t even know what our kidneys do. (Hint: they’re a pair of bean-shaped organs about 4-5 inches long that filter our blood, removing wastes and regulating fluids.)
Bottom line? We can’t live without healthy, functioning kidneys.
Well, I started really thinking about my kidneys a couple years ago when I began to have some unsettling symptoms, including high blood pressure and fatigue. I decided it was time to go to my doctor and ask questions. So, after I had several medical tests, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease, PKD for short.
PKD is an inherited disorder in which clusters of cysts develop primarily within the kidneys, causing them to enlarge and lose function over time. Seems that I’ve had it since birth and never knew it until the symptoms appeared.
Unlike most people who have PKD, I have an aggressive form that’s causing my kidneys to prematurely shut down. Unfortunately, my kidneys are functioning at about 15% of normal, healthy kidneys. And, the longer I live without the necessary kidney function, the more my health will fail.
June 21: Kidney Transplant!
To make a long and complicated story short, after months of searching and waiting for a donor match, we learned my mother would be able to donate one of hers to me. So the journey to regain my health continues as we prepare for the organ transplant scheduled for June 21. While many of our expenses will be covered by insurance, we are faced with other significant financial challenges, including lost wages, travel expenses, childcare, long-term anti-rejection and anti-inflammatory drugs, and mortgage and household bills. We’re also concerned about covering my mother’s donor expenses.
Your Prayers and Help are Needed
First, we need your prayers. As you can imagine, organ transplant surgery is serious. Please pray for my mother’s and my successful surgeries, and quick recoveries.
Second, we expect our expenses to be close to $8,000 during the next year as we go through the transplant and recovery process. We would be humbled by any amount of donation you could give us to help us through this physically and emotionally tough time. Your donation will be life changing.
If you prefer to mail a donation directly to us rather than through this GoFundMe page, please private message Karen Batt Horvath (Sara’s mom) on Facebook, or email Karen for the mailing address.
Thank you in advance for your support and generosity,
Michael and Sara Kineke
Hi, my name is Michael Kineke, age 36. My wife, Sara, and I have been married for 13 years. We have three children, two girls and one boy, ages 3 to 9.
I have a bachelor’s degree in music education from Houghton College and a graduate degree in music education from the New York State University at Buffalo. I’m a music teacher for the Niagara Falls City School District, teaching band to students in grades 4-6.
I’m very active in my church, Kenmore Alliance, in the Town of Tonawanda, where I serve on the worship team and volunteer with the children’s ministries. As a young man, I earned the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scout Troop 9 in Ilion, NY.
Combine that scouting experience with growing up in the countryside of Central New York State, and it results in having a huge passion for nature and the outdoors! I really enjoy gardening, bird watching, and hiking. And, I also love to cook for my family using the fresh vegetables and herbs I grow in our back yard.
MY PKD STORY
How often do you think about your kidneys? Maybe once a year, during your annual physical? Maybe if you happen to talk to someone about he or she having kidney problems? Maybe never?
Likewise, most of us don’t even know what our kidneys do. (Hint: they’re a pair of bean-shaped organs about 4-5 inches long that filter our blood, removing wastes and regulating fluids.)
Bottom line? We can’t live without healthy, functioning kidneys.
Well, I started really thinking about my kidneys a couple years ago when I began to have some unsettling symptoms, including high blood pressure and fatigue. I decided it was time to go to my doctor and ask questions. So, after I had several medical tests, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease, PKD for short.
PKD is an inherited disorder in which clusters of cysts develop primarily within the kidneys, causing them to enlarge and lose function over time. Seems that I’ve had it since birth and never knew it until the symptoms appeared.
Unlike most people who have PKD, I have an aggressive form that’s causing my kidneys to prematurely shut down. Unfortunately, my kidneys are functioning at about 15% of normal, healthy kidneys. And, the longer I live without the necessary kidney function, the more my health will fail.
June 21: Kidney Transplant!
To make a long and complicated story short, after months of searching and waiting for a donor match, we learned my mother would be able to donate one of hers to me. So the journey to regain my health continues as we prepare for the organ transplant scheduled for June 21. While many of our expenses will be covered by insurance, we are faced with other significant financial challenges, including lost wages, travel expenses, childcare, long-term anti-rejection and anti-inflammatory drugs, and mortgage and household bills. We’re also concerned about covering my mother’s donor expenses.
Your Prayers and Help are Needed
First, we need your prayers. As you can imagine, organ transplant surgery is serious. Please pray for my mother’s and my successful surgeries, and quick recoveries.
Second, we expect our expenses to be close to $8,000 during the next year as we go through the transplant and recovery process. We would be humbled by any amount of donation you could give us to help us through this physically and emotionally tough time. Your donation will be life changing.
If you prefer to mail a donation directly to us rather than through this GoFundMe page, please private message Karen Batt Horvath (Sara’s mom) on Facebook, or email Karen for the mailing address.
Thank you in advance for your support and generosity,
Michael and Sara Kineke
Organizer and beneficiary
Karen Batt Horvath
Organizer
Niagara Falls, NY
Sara Kineke
Beneficiary