Hi, I am Mariah O'Dell, and I am asking those who can help raise funds for one of my best and most special friends, Tiffini Gallant. We have been friends for over 25 years, and she is one of the strongest, most courageous and most talented people I know. One of my favorite qualities is how well she listens and makes the people around her feel heard and cared about. That she gives wholeheartedly the most she can to the people around her. She will go out of her way to help you up if you are down. I would love to give you a little back story as to why I am asking for your help.

 

Tiffini is a loving, young 34-year-old-mother to a sweet little toddler; she is an attentive wife, amazing daughter/sister and a beautiful friend. She is a generous donor to many charities, especially locally. Most everyone Tiffini has met loves her because she puts everyone before herself and lifts them up. She would give anyone the shirt off her back if a friend or even a stranger needed it. That is just who she is. She is a giver and has one of the most beautiful souls.

 

Tiffini was sick a lot as a child. When she was in ICU at age 12 (with a very rare form of pneumonia), they discovered she had Polycystic Kidney Disease. The doctors (at the time) told her she would live to about the age of 30 and that she would never be able to have children. It was a significant burden for a child to bear, and bear it she did. She grew up in Joliet, Montana. She has lived her life to the fullest. Throughout her battle with PKD, she has demonstrated strength, resilience, kindness and a positive outlook. She graduated with honors and more scholarships than anyone in her class. She started her education at MSU-B and eventually, with a lot of hard work, earned a Master's Degree at Georgetown University. She eventually managed to find the perfect job, too, right here in Billings. Her life was good, and she was so happy. At least she did until this last January when her world came crashing down.

 

On January 12, 2022, she woke up fine and went to work like any other day. Then everything went wrong. She went to work as usual, and then it hit. A kidney cyst had ruptured. She was rushed to the ER and admitted to the hospital. That day was the last time she walked, stood up straight, got into and out of bed independently, or got dressed without needing assistance. Life as she knew it was over.

 

Since that fateful day in January, she has not been without excruciating pain. Cyst after cyst keeps rupturing and rupturing. Since then, she has been trapped in her bed, only getting out of the house to go back to the ER with another bleeding kidney cyst rupture. Tiffini has lost her job and, with that, her health insurance for herself and her family. She was denied disability since it was due to a pre-existing condition. She and her husband have depleted their savings completely. She has already incurred tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills, with more and more coming.

Tiffini recently consulted experts at Mayo Clinic. Everything shows she has an advanced form of PKD. Both of her kidneys are the size of footballs (normal kidneys are about the size of a fist), and they are filled with cysts, many over an inch (one is 2.5") in size. They fill her tiny frame making it difficult to breathe or eat, on top of the other difficulties. The medications are about $1000 per month. The disease is rapidly progressing, and Tiffini's kidneys are expected to continue to grow at a rate of about 5% per year. She has lost over 50% of her kidney function. This disease (PKD) affects her skin, heart, digestion and more. She is always the first in line to give to others, and now she needs our help for herself and her family. She needs help with medical bills, daily living expenses, medications and a special treatment procedure offered by the Mayo Clinic. Please consider even a small donation to help in her time of need.