Anyone who knows Johnny (my brother) knows he has always been the kind of person who would do anything for anyone, no matter what he was facing himself. Unfortunately, he’s now facing one of the toughest challenges of his life, and I’m hoping you can help! He has a hereditary disease called polycystic kidney disease, and as a result, he is now in kidney failure…at 36 years old.

My brother is a really proud, devoted, and active father to a 7 year old daughter. He moved up north a few years back to be just that (his daughter’s mom moved up there to be by family). While I know there’s not a day he regrets that move, unfortunately, this means he lives 4.5 hours away from Froedtert Hospital, where he needs to receive care.

It’s recently been decided that he will have both of his kidneys removed before he can receive a transplant. This means he’ll need to stay in the Milwaukee area for several weeks to recover, leaving him out of work (away from his daughter ), and needing to rent a place to live. When the time comes for his transplant, he’ll again need to be in Milwaukee for twice-weekly appointments for 4-6 weeks, which means more time away from home, his daughter, and his job. The financial and emotional strain of travel, housing, and lost income is going to be overwhelming.

I am not the type of person to ask for help, especially financial assistance, so I hope people know how much this support will mean to my brother. I am currently in the process of trying to donate a kidney to him, or in his name if we’re not a match, so I’m trying to do my part, too. :)

Any help you can give will be deeply appreciated and will make a real difference in his life. Thank you ❤️