Pete Yellowjohn Med Help
Donation protected
Pete Yellowjohn, a Traditional Shoshone Elder, Bundle Keeper, and Medicine Man is now in a place of desprately needing our help and support!
He has been diagnosed with a rare blood disease called Amyloidosis which is causing his kidneys to fail. They are treating his blood with Chemotherapy once a week in Salt Lake City, which is a 177 mile drive each way from the Ft Hall Reservation Idaho where he lives with his wife Hovia and young son Nabuiginnah (aka Naboo) whom is almost 2 years old. Both of whom he supports and Loves so much.
Pete will have a cathader installed in his abdomen soon, and attend a week long class in Salt Lake City to teach him how to start administering Peritoneal Dialysis on himself everyday for 10 hours, with a machine that will be installed in his home. He has had to rearange his home to accomodate the equipment.
He is not eligable for Kidney transplant till the blood disorder is taken care of, and insurance won't cover till both kidneys have failed. Needless to say Insurance is not covering all of his medical needs and expenses at this time, nor is Indian Health Services able to provide for him. Pete had to quit his job this week because the kidney disease affects his everyday function, he is extremely fatigued, often home bound, and can no longer work.
In his own words "I’m trying to do all this for the sake of my boy! He means a lot to me and I want to be able to watch him grow up !"
From Pete's wife Hovia;
I personally want to thank everyone for your love & support for our family at this difficult time of our lives. Pete is the kind of person who doesn't like to ask for anything and will try and figure a way to help himself and to help others & I like to think that is what makes him so special to everyone!!! When we found out about his kidney failure last year (October 2017) we were devastated & felt our world crumble into pieces....but we've learned to pick up the pieces and roll with the punches. We still have a long road ahead of us. Many have asked how much longer it will be until he receives his transplant & that is the same questions we have for Pete's doctors, & all they can tell us is that Pete has to have the Amyloidosis treated FIRST before he can receive a new kidney, because if it is NOT TREATED, his new kidney can be affected in the same manner and he would end up in the same boat he is in now. That is why it is so important they get the Amyloidosis treated first. There are 6 cycles of chemo Pete has to undergo as of now he is in the 4th cycle and at the end of October he will undergo another biopsy to see if the chemo is working & if it is they will continue with 2 more cycles of chemo. Thereafter he can then pursue towards the actual transplant process. So they told us it will probably be about a year.... :( In the meantime since his kidney function dropped to 7% he has to undergo Peritoneal Dialysis for 10 hours a day at home...I know he worries about us (his family) especially little nabuiginnah because he always talks about the things they will do when he gets bigger, the places they will go & the things he wants little Naboo to learn from him...Pete has been such a wonderful father to his son & it breaks my heart to see him worry about the future. So your prayers, your friendship, encouragement & your love for Pete is what's going to help him get through this ordeal. Thank You all for everything from the bottom of my heart!!! Ooseh'
He has been diagnosed with a rare blood disease called Amyloidosis which is causing his kidneys to fail. They are treating his blood with Chemotherapy once a week in Salt Lake City, which is a 177 mile drive each way from the Ft Hall Reservation Idaho where he lives with his wife Hovia and young son Nabuiginnah (aka Naboo) whom is almost 2 years old. Both of whom he supports and Loves so much.
Pete will have a cathader installed in his abdomen soon, and attend a week long class in Salt Lake City to teach him how to start administering Peritoneal Dialysis on himself everyday for 10 hours, with a machine that will be installed in his home. He has had to rearange his home to accomodate the equipment.
He is not eligable for Kidney transplant till the blood disorder is taken care of, and insurance won't cover till both kidneys have failed. Needless to say Insurance is not covering all of his medical needs and expenses at this time, nor is Indian Health Services able to provide for him. Pete had to quit his job this week because the kidney disease affects his everyday function, he is extremely fatigued, often home bound, and can no longer work.
In his own words "I’m trying to do all this for the sake of my boy! He means a lot to me and I want to be able to watch him grow up !"
From Pete's wife Hovia;
I personally want to thank everyone for your love & support for our family at this difficult time of our lives. Pete is the kind of person who doesn't like to ask for anything and will try and figure a way to help himself and to help others & I like to think that is what makes him so special to everyone!!! When we found out about his kidney failure last year (October 2017) we were devastated & felt our world crumble into pieces....but we've learned to pick up the pieces and roll with the punches. We still have a long road ahead of us. Many have asked how much longer it will be until he receives his transplant & that is the same questions we have for Pete's doctors, & all they can tell us is that Pete has to have the Amyloidosis treated FIRST before he can receive a new kidney, because if it is NOT TREATED, his new kidney can be affected in the same manner and he would end up in the same boat he is in now. That is why it is so important they get the Amyloidosis treated first. There are 6 cycles of chemo Pete has to undergo as of now he is in the 4th cycle and at the end of October he will undergo another biopsy to see if the chemo is working & if it is they will continue with 2 more cycles of chemo. Thereafter he can then pursue towards the actual transplant process. So they told us it will probably be about a year.... :( In the meantime since his kidney function dropped to 7% he has to undergo Peritoneal Dialysis for 10 hours a day at home...I know he worries about us (his family) especially little nabuiginnah because he always talks about the things they will do when he gets bigger, the places they will go & the things he wants little Naboo to learn from him...Pete has been such a wonderful father to his son & it breaks my heart to see him worry about the future. So your prayers, your friendship, encouragement & your love for Pete is what's going to help him get through this ordeal. Thank You all for everything from the bottom of my heart!!! Ooseh'
Organizer
Wolf Martinez
Organizer
Pocatello, ID
