Hello, I’m Pam—wife, mom, grandma, psychotherapist, business coach, crochet designer, and aspiring author.

My husband, Kevin, and I live on a little homestead in rural Colorado, where our days are filled with mountain views, work (and more work), chickens and pigs, and all the ordinary ups and downs of life.

Some of you reading this have known me for decades. Some recently found me through social media. Others may be here because someone you trust shared my story.

However you found your way here, thank you for taking a moment to learn why we’re asking for help.

I am facing end-stage renal disease, and my kidney function has declined to the point that I need a transplant.

After months of six-hour round-trip drives to Denver and beyond for appointments, scans, bloodwork, and testing, I recently received an important call: I have officially been approved and am now active on the kidney transplant waiting list.

This is incredibly hopeful news—but it also means the waiting has officially begun.

My greatest hope is to receive a transplant before I need dialysis. While I can wait for a kidney from a deceased donor, my best chance of receiving one sooner may be finding a living donor—someone willing to be evaluated to see whether they could safely donate one of their two healthy kidneys.

At the same time, we have to prepare for every possibility. I’m making plans for dialysis access just in case, which means I may officially be entering my Bionic Pam era—so that’s…fun.

The medical part of this is difficult enough. But because I’m self-employed and the primary breadwinner in our home, it also brings a financial reality we can’t ignore.

A transplant would require Kevin and me to spend about a month near the hospital in Denver while I recover. There will be travel and lodging expenses, a significant insurance deductible, lifelong anti-rejection medications, and weeks—or possibly months—when I won’t be able to work at my usual capacity.

If dialysis comes first, that will bring its own medical costs, along with major changes to our daily lives and my ability to run my business.

If I’m fortunate enough to receive a kidney from a living donor, we may also need to help with eligible expenses or lost wages that aren’t covered by donor-assistance programs.

And, of course, the mortgage and our regular household bills won’t stop while we navigate any of this.

I’ve spent most of my adult life being the helper. Asking for help for myself does not come naturally. I’d much rather make a joke, turn the whole experience into an essay, and quietly figure everything out behind the scenes.

But this is bigger than what Kevin and I can comfortably prepare for on our own.

That’s why I’m setting up this fundraiser now—while we wait for the call and while we still have time to prepare, rather than trying to figure everything out in the middle of a crisis.

The money raised will help cover:

Insurance deductibles and other medical expenses

Anti-rejection medications and other prescriptions

Travel and lodging near the transplant hospital

Lost income while I recover or begin dialysis

Eligible living-donor expenses not covered by assistance programs

Regular household bills while I’m unable to work fully

My goal is to create enough of a financial cushion that, when the call comes, we can focus on my health and recovery instead of scrambling to figure out how to pay for everything.

There are two meaningful ways you can help.

You can contribute toward the financial costs of transplant and recovery, or you can help us spread the word about my need for a living kidney donor.

If you’d like to learn more about living kidney donation—or request information with no pressure or obligation—you can visit:

https://pamelagrice.com/kidney-donation

I know money is tight for many people, and I don’t expect everyone to give. If you’re able to contribute, even a small amount will help us feel more prepared for what lies ahead. Sharing this fundraiser is also an enormous help.

If you’re interested, I’m documenting the day-to-day journey on TikTok at @debtfreetransplant. I’m sharing the small, consistent steps I’m taking to pay down debt and build our medical fund as we wait for a kidney.

On my other social channels, I’ll keep sharing crochet, sunsets, homestead life, and the adventures of being married to Kevin. This diagnosis is only one part of my life.

Right now, though, it’s the part that needs the most attention.

Thank you for giving, sharing, praying, or simply caring enough to read my story. I’m deeply grateful to have you with me on this journey.

Love you bunches,

Pammie

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

—Romans 12:12 (ESV)