Chris Helms has been fighting for his life for years — and this year, that fight intensified in ways no family should ever have to endure.

Diagnosed with end-stage renal disease in March 2022, Chris has been on full-time dialysis ever since. Over the past 18 months, his health challenges have escalated dramatically. He has undergone three brain surgeries, progressed into advanced heart failure, and required the placement of a pacemaker last November to stabilize his heart. During a critical period related to his heart condition last year, Chris spent 31 days in the ICU and was placed on life support twice. He continues to battle kidney failure and is now in URGENT NEED of a kidney transplant.

In the past 18 months alone, Chris has faced:

    •    Three brain surgeries

    •    Advanced heart failure requiring a pacemaker

    •    31 days in the ICU, twice on life support

    •    Five hospitalizations this year

    •    A recent 24-day hospital stay resulting in the amputation of four toes and part of his foot

He is still recovering from this most recent hospitalization, and the impact on daily life remains significant. In addition to end-stage renal disease, Chris continues to fight advanced heart failure, making each day a careful balance of resilience, treatment, and hope.

As a longtime friend of the Helms family, I am starting this GoFundMe to support Chris, Darlene, and their children during this incredibly difficult and ongoing season.

Through it all, this family has remained strong in their faith, positive, and deeply committed to one another. Anyone who knows the Helms family knows this to be true — to know them is to love them. They continue to show up for their children, their work, and their community, often quietly and without complaint. But the reality is that years of repeated hospitalizations, extended recovery periods, and ongoing medical uncertainty have created a significant financial burden.

Medical bills, transplant preparation, missed work, and essential day-to-day expenses have all been affected. Right now, the greatest gift you can give this family is relief — relief from the financial strain so they can focus on healing, stability, and preparing for what comes next.

We are asking for support to help ease this burden. Any contribution — whether through donating, sharing this page, or keeping the Helms family in your thoughts and prayers — truly makes a difference.

This is a good family facing an extraordinarily hard journey, and they continue to do so with strength, faith, and determination. Thank you for standing with them and helping carry part of the weight during this difficult season.

Funds raised will be used to support the Helms family with medical expenses, transplant preparation, and essential general expenses impacted by Chris’s ongoing medical journey.