
Pete's New Kidney-New Year
Donation protected
I am writing this request on behalf of my brother, Peter Heinz. Pete has overcome many challenges throughout his life. He was born with Crouzon’s Syndrome, which led to the bones in his face and head fusing improperly. This condition caused Peter to lose most of his vision at the age of three and led to his vision gradually declining throughout his life. Currently, Peter is legally blind and can see very little, other than very bright lights. Later in life, Pete had a very bad fall which hospitalized him for several weeks and left him unable to walk without a walker. Throughout these hardships, Peter continued to strive to live his life as independently as possible in his apartment in Wausau, Wisconsin.
Unfortunately, in 2017, Peter’s kidneys failed. He has been on dialysis 3 times a week for 6 long years, and there were times when it felt like a matching kidney would not be found. Peter finally got his call and received a new Kidney on December 16th, 2023, at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. His family and friends feel blessed and so grateful to the donor and his or her family, whose sacrifice gave Peter a second chance at life. Fortunately, Pete’s new kidney is currently working just as it should and has given him hope for the new year ahead.
Along with the blessing of his new kidney has come several new challenges. Since Pete’s home is several hours from Froedtert, he must stay in Milwaukee for the first month to be close enough to go to his twice weekly lab tests and Dr.’s appointments. We have been fortunate enough to find a place to stay at Kathy’s House, an incredible Hospital Guest House for patients and families who live too far away to drive back and forth. The cost of Kathy’s House is $60.00 per night, which is greatly reduced from the hotels in the area. By the end of the first month post-transplant, Pete will have been at Kathy’s House for 27 days. In February there will be several more overnight visits at hotels as his appointments become further apart. The donations will be used to cover expenses at Kathy’s House and other stays in Milwaukee for future appointments.
Before Dialysis, Peter worked at the Northern Valley Workshop in Wausau, only missing an occasional day for Dr.’s appointments. Since going on Dialysis, Peter has not been able to keep working. He is currently living on a limited Social Security Disability income. Pete is very independent and does not like to ask for help from others. However, due to the need to stay close to Milwaukee for his post-transplant appointments, Pete has agreed to let me post this request for whatever support you can offer him during this time. He would also be grateful for your prayers that his new kidney continues to stay healthy and functioning as he gets back to his normal life in the New Year.
With Gratitude,
Pete Heinz
Lori and Tim Hale-Sister and Brother-in-Law (Pete’s Transplant Support Team)
Organizer
Lori Hale
Organizer
Wisconsin Rapids, WI