Support Jill's Miraculous Liver Transplant Opportunity

Jill is receiving the gift of a lifetime — a live liver transplant! This remarkable opportunity is now just weeks away, and while we’re deeply grateful for the hope it brings, we’re also facing a difficult and expensive journey.

We were floored when, after many years of preparation, meetings with specialists, numerous hospital visits, countless tests, and listing with several transplant teams, Jill received a call from her hepatologist at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN that an anonymous Good Samaritan donor had been found and matched with Jill. This kind of thing is extraordinarily rare in the organ transplant world, so we are feeling beyond fortunate. With about a month to prepare for the procedure, scheduled for June 9, we kicked into high gear to get everything in place to make it happen.

Jill will be in the hospital for a couple weeks, followed by a month-and-a-half of outpatient, close-to-the-hospital recovery time. She'll then return back home to Vermont for further recovery. Matt, Jack, and Finn will be traveling to Minnesota to spend time with Jill while she is in recovery. Jill's mom, Marcia, will be her full-time caretaker and cheerleader as the gifted liver grows and adapts its new home.

Jill has been enthusiastically living her life, knowing that at some point the effects of Polycystic Liver and Kidney Disease (PLD/PKD) would require action beyond regular monitoring and maintaining a healthy lifestyle to slow the progression of the disease. She herself has served as a primary caregiver for donor and recipient: when Marcia, incredibly, was able to donate a kidney to Jill's father, David — contributing immeasurable richness and 18 dialysis-free years to his life — Jill was there. Now, thanks to another selfless donor, Jill has that same chance her father was given.

While we are extremely fortunate to have healthcare that will help make the transplant possible, there are many associated expenses not covered by insurance. We are asking for help during this period of reduced earning capacity to help cover extended time away from work, long-term housing, meals, travel, and any other unforeseen costs associated with surgery and recovery. We’re asking for help to ease this financial strain so Jill and her family can focus fully on healing.

We are deeply grateful for your support. Please help us spread the word by sharing and sending heaps of happy organ healing vibes into the universe! Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts...and Jill's liver. ;)

If you would like to learn more about PKD and PLD, please check out the PKD Foundation, which funds research, advocates for patients, provides care, and builds community for those impacted by PKD and it's related conditions.