Jeremy Rice Support Fund
Donation protected
Anyone who has ever met Jeremy or heard his story, knows how remarkable, rare, and strong he and his family are.
Jeremy Rice is a bright, young adult who attended Brigham Young University studying Pre-Medicine with dreams of becoming a doctor. Jeremy always excelled in school and even managed to maintain a 3.7 GPA throughout college. During his junior year at BYU, he began having intestinal issues which soon led to the first of his many hospital stays. Doctors revealed that he had severe ulcerative colitis; a disease that affected his colon. Due to this, Jeremy lost one third of his body weight and was faced with no other option but to have his large intestines removed. Despite this set back, Jeremy’s discipline, love for exercise and healthy eating habits led to a quicker recovery than expected which allowed him to return to school. Soon, life seemed go to back to normal for Jeremy- that is, until that “fateful” day.
On April 18th, 2016, Jeremy’s parents received a phone call no parent should ever receive. Less than one week before his graduation, Jeremy was rushed into emergency surgery from which he was was not expected to survive. He suffered a volvulus in his intestine just below his stomach which resulted in a blockage and ultimately the death of his entire small intestine. Doctors were forced to remove almost all but five inches of his small intestine where 22 feet once existed. Days following the first surgery, Jeremy required two more surgeries to remove additional necrotic tissue. After five days of being in a coma in the ICU and against all odds, Jeremy woke up. After being in the hospital for three weeks, Jeremy resumed his studies in preparation for taking the MCAT (Medical School entrance exam) and began the application process for Medical School. In August earlier this year, Jeremy finally got to walk with the summer graduating class where he received his Bachelors in Science.
Jeremy is now living without a colon and only five inches of his small intestine. Because he can no longer absorb fluids or nutrients from the food he eats, he relies completely on Total Parenteral Nutrition (or TPN) to give him all of his calories, nutrients and hydration to stay alive. Every hour of the day is spent hooked up up to an intravenous line.
As if all of these unimaginable struggles were not enough, TPN is destroying Jeremy’s liver. He is currently on the waiting list to receive a large intestine, small intestine and liver transplant; a surgery that will save him and give him hope of a normal life. He and his mother will have to move across the country and live in Omaha, Nebraska, while his father must remain in Arizona. Both Jeremy and his mom must be near the hospital and ready at any given moment when donor organs become available. They will be required to reside there for up to a year post-operation to protect and ensure the success of of this gift of life. Jeremy’s ambition and drive to keep moving forward is impeccable and as he continues to become a doctor, he will work to find a cure for those who are suffering with similar conditions.
I started this campaign because Jeremy’s story is one of the most anomalous medical miracles I have ever heard of. I can only imagine the unfathomable struggles him and his family have endured. Any donations from this campaign will go directly to the Rice Family and will aid in their relocation and travel costs associated with Jeremy’s transplant. Jeremy and his family are some of the kindest, strongest people I have ever met. Any kind of gesture would mean the world to me and Jeremy’s family.
Thank you.
Jeremy Rice is a bright, young adult who attended Brigham Young University studying Pre-Medicine with dreams of becoming a doctor. Jeremy always excelled in school and even managed to maintain a 3.7 GPA throughout college. During his junior year at BYU, he began having intestinal issues which soon led to the first of his many hospital stays. Doctors revealed that he had severe ulcerative colitis; a disease that affected his colon. Due to this, Jeremy lost one third of his body weight and was faced with no other option but to have his large intestines removed. Despite this set back, Jeremy’s discipline, love for exercise and healthy eating habits led to a quicker recovery than expected which allowed him to return to school. Soon, life seemed go to back to normal for Jeremy- that is, until that “fateful” day.
On April 18th, 2016, Jeremy’s parents received a phone call no parent should ever receive. Less than one week before his graduation, Jeremy was rushed into emergency surgery from which he was was not expected to survive. He suffered a volvulus in his intestine just below his stomach which resulted in a blockage and ultimately the death of his entire small intestine. Doctors were forced to remove almost all but five inches of his small intestine where 22 feet once existed. Days following the first surgery, Jeremy required two more surgeries to remove additional necrotic tissue. After five days of being in a coma in the ICU and against all odds, Jeremy woke up. After being in the hospital for three weeks, Jeremy resumed his studies in preparation for taking the MCAT (Medical School entrance exam) and began the application process for Medical School. In August earlier this year, Jeremy finally got to walk with the summer graduating class where he received his Bachelors in Science.
Jeremy is now living without a colon and only five inches of his small intestine. Because he can no longer absorb fluids or nutrients from the food he eats, he relies completely on Total Parenteral Nutrition (or TPN) to give him all of his calories, nutrients and hydration to stay alive. Every hour of the day is spent hooked up up to an intravenous line.
As if all of these unimaginable struggles were not enough, TPN is destroying Jeremy’s liver. He is currently on the waiting list to receive a large intestine, small intestine and liver transplant; a surgery that will save him and give him hope of a normal life. He and his mother will have to move across the country and live in Omaha, Nebraska, while his father must remain in Arizona. Both Jeremy and his mom must be near the hospital and ready at any given moment when donor organs become available. They will be required to reside there for up to a year post-operation to protect and ensure the success of of this gift of life. Jeremy’s ambition and drive to keep moving forward is impeccable and as he continues to become a doctor, he will work to find a cure for those who are suffering with similar conditions.
I started this campaign because Jeremy’s story is one of the most anomalous medical miracles I have ever heard of. I can only imagine the unfathomable struggles him and his family have endured. Any donations from this campaign will go directly to the Rice Family and will aid in their relocation and travel costs associated with Jeremy’s transplant. Jeremy and his family are some of the kindest, strongest people I have ever met. Any kind of gesture would mean the world to me and Jeremy’s family.
Thank you.
Organizer and beneficiary
Sierra Wolf
Organizer
Omaha, NE
Jeremy Rice
Beneficiary
