My son, Jesse Rathbun was diagnosed six years ago with three different autoimmune diseases. Two of them, Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Autoimmune Hepatitis, have severely damaged the bile ducts in his liver. This causes severe abdominal pain and inflammation, and the bile pools in his blood stream causing intense itching and skin lesions. In November Jesse's doctors informed him that there were no other medications to treat his symptoms (as autoimmune diseases are incurable), and his illness can only be cured through a liver transplant. He has been placed on the UNOS National Liver Transplant List but because Jesse's B+ blood type is more rare, doctors recommended he search for a living donor. Jesse has a friend who came forward and is in the screening process for being his living donor.

Jesse's illness is all his daughters have known, and his illness has prevented him from fully enjoying this precious time with them. We are so grateful to the doctors at Mt. Sinai and the hope they have given us that he will soon be able to enjoy a fuller life.

The transplant will require him to be in NYC for at least one month, and out of work for 4 to 6 months. Afterward, he will face large anti-rejection medication costs and regular follow up trips. Funds raised will assist with uncovered medical and travel expenses to and from Mt. Sinai's Recanti-Miller Liver Transplant Institute in NYC.

Thank you so much for considering support for Jesse at this time.