Spiderman Needs a Liver

* Note: Venmo support for Paul's recovery can be sent to @KMack0725. * In 2015, my husband and I got married and moved, sight unseen, all the way across the country.  My Great Dane, Nibby, moved with us (and took up most of the car).  When we arrived in Vegas, we didn't know ANYONE.  We both had jobs working at the same school, but with the exception of the Church, we didn't have an existing support system.  Going from Buffalo (right near Niagara Falls) to the desert was a huge change for us.  When we first met our new colleagues at Pinecrest Academy St. Rose, my husband became fast friends with one of the English teachers, a great guy named Paul.  Over the first month or so, Nibby began to decline in health, and by mid-September, we made the decision to put him to sleep.  Having been my only constant companion for almost nine years, the decision destroyed me.  It was a stressful time for us. A few days after we laid Nibby to rest, I came to work to find a large manila envelope.  Inside were cards, letters, drawings...so many well-wishings from students, colleagues, friends.  Stories from folks young and old who had gone through similar experiences in letting their furry family members go, and their thoughts and prayers in support of me and my family.  The gesture was a complete surprise.   It was a gift orchestrated by our new friend, Paul McLerran. Almost five years later, a lot has changed.  We are all teaching in different schools from where we were when we first met.  Scott and I have a 3-year old son.  Paul has found his love, the amazing and beautiful Christi, who has also become our friend.  Paul continues to be the kind, funny, dorky, incredibly thoughtful human being that knew exactly how to help someone through a very difficult time several years ago.  If anything, his love for Christi has helped amplify his heart.  We have been so lucky to have him as a friend for our time here in Vegas. Immediately after the onset of the new year, Paul was hospitalized with unidentified liver problems resulting in severe physical exhaustion.  After scores of tests, his condition deteriorated to the point where he was moved to a hospital in CA so he could receive specialized care.  He was eventually diagnosed with acute liver failure due to an asymptomatic autoimmune condition, and it became necessary for him to be put on the UNOS organ donor list for a new liver.  After a few days and thousands of prayers and well-wishes from loved ones, Paul was moved into surgery to receive a new liver.  The 11+ hour surgery was successful, and he is currently in CA, with Christi, in recovery.  It has only been two days since the surgery, and he is still sleeping.  Doctors are consistently monitoring his progress, but as of now, he is not yet "out of the woods".  We continue to pray.  And wait.  And have hope and faith. Still a teacher of English, Paul will not be capable of returning to work for several months.  His doctors estimate that he'll require at least another month of time of in-hospital recovery, possibly 2-3 months, before he can be released and come home to continue to recover.  Christi is his POT and is also with him in CA.  For anyone who has had a loved one with a life-threatening condition, you know how quickly the compounding costs of hospital bills, current treatments, and the ongoing medications, as well as the cost of maintaining everyday living expenses (food, mortgage/rent, phone, utilities, etc.) can pile up and cause additional stresses in addition to the stress of an unstable health condition, especially when that condition takes you away from your ability to work. We are coming together to support them through this tribulation. If you are able to make a contribution to support these two wonderful people, kindly donate through this page.  If you would like to make a donation that will be transmitted directly to Paul and Christi without any fees taken out, you can Venmo me at @KMack0725 and I'll transfer donations directly to them. If you would be willing to contribute by purchasing gift cards for food and other daily needs, please text me at [phone redacted] and I will be happy to give you the information by which we can get your gift to them.   Every little bit helps.  This will be a lifelong monitoring process for Paul, so we are looking to offset their stresses as soon as possible so that they can concentrate on Paul's health.  A meal train and physical support may be necessary once they return home to Vegas, but at this point, please help in any way that you can. If you are not able to help financially, PLEASE SHARE!! Thank you for your support of Paul.  Christi has asked that we continue to pray for and send good thoughts to him. Updates will be posted as his condition progresses. Much love to you all, in gratitude, Kathryn Mackmin