Aloha!

My name is Tim Gannon and I'm fundraising because I am being considered for a kidney transplant. It might come as a surprise to those of you who know me, but I have been dealing with CKD for about 5 years now. I have been on dialysis for the last 4 years. While my health is good for the most part, my kidneys are not. I do dialysis daily because my kidneys do not remove enough of the toxins in my body. It's a lot of work.

I just had my interviews with the transplant team at Queen's Hospital on Oahu. All went well but now it comes down to the hard part. Transplants have gotten incredibly expensive and while I have insurance there are some things it doesn't cover. In order to have a new kidney donated I will have to stay on island on Oahu for a month or more. I live on the Big Island so not only will I have my normal monthly expenses here at home, I will incur costs to stay on Oahu for one month or more. They keep you on island after the surgery so they can monitor your progress before releasing you home. The costs on Oahu are two or three times what I'd pay on the Big Island. The costs include housing, transportation, food, medication (ALL the medication is incredibly expensive), plus this will be expenses for 2 people as my daughter will be with me as she is my caregiver in this process.

I was told by the surgeon before I left my interview, "Be ready and start working out for surgery!" So I have resumed my training regimen and am feeling pretty good. I have maintained my healthy diet and will do my best to stay as healthy as possible. I'll have to maintain the same healthy diet and exercise routine after the transplant as that is part of the agreement.

You know, the truth be told, I'm really doing this so I can see my granddaughter grow up. She will already be 1 year old at the end of May and she is just the love of my life! She brightens my day every time I see her! So know that if you feel moved enough to contribute, you will not only have my undying gratitude but know that you are also contributing to a little girl and her "papa" so one can grow up and flourish and one can grow old(er) gracefully.

Thank you all for your time and consideration. May God bless you all!

With Love, Hope, and Aloha,

Tim Gannon