Help Support Our Dad Through Kidney Failure and Transplant Care

From Tanya & Kimmi

In 2009, our dad received a life-saving liver transplant. That gift gave him a second chance - one he’s never taken for granted. Since then, he’s built a quiet, beautiful life. He moved to Tennessee, bought a property on land, and settled into a rhythm with his wife Sandra, their horses, and their chickens. He’s gotten to see both of us grow into adulthood, watch Tanya get married, and become a grandpa to her two little boys who adore him.

Before his transplant, our dad served as a hospital chaplain at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, leading the patient and family services department. He supported transplant recipients and donor families, sitting with them in some of life’s most vulnerable moments. After his own transplant, that experience took on an even deeper meaning - giving him a perspective only someone who’s lived it could offer.

Later, in Tennessee, he continued this work through hospice, walking alongside patients and families with the same compassion and presence that has defined his life.

Now, he’s facing another major challenge. After years on anti-rejection medications to maintain his liver transplant, his kidneys are failing. He’s currently undergoing daily dialysis treatments, often for hours at a time - and despite his best efforts, this treatment isn’t working. There’s concern he may lose insurance coverage if dialysis isn’t effective, which only adds to the weight of what he and Sandra are carrying. He’ll need to be listed for another transplant, and the medical and logistical costs ahead are significant.

We’re putting this GoFundMe together to help build a financial bridge during this time - one that helps ease the pressure of mounting expenses and allows him to focus on getting the care he needs. Supporting him now is a way of giving back to someone who’s given so much to his communities throughout his life.

We would be deeply grateful for any contribution or share.