Help4Headda

John "Headda" Rodriguez was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in August 2018.  It came on quite quickly; over about a 6 month period from the time his blood markers showed numbers  that went from being "watched" and treated with meds to "alarming" and end stage renal failure with 10% kidney function and a visit to the emergency room to start hemo dialysis. 

John has made the switch from hemo dialysis to peritoneal dialysis which he administers at home overnight on a daily basis. It is much more tolerable and seems to work better as toxins are removed from the body daily, same as working kidneys would, as opposed to every three days as with hemo dialysis. He is currently on disability as he awaits a job that will accommodate his physical restriction and overnight dialysis requirement.  In the meantime, health benefits have been cut off so he has signed up for medicare.  No,surprise, the bills have been coming in droves; these are nothing compared to our portion of what is to come with a kidney transplant when that day comes.

We'll keep you posted as things progress. Please send your positive energy and prayers our way.   Thank you and God bless.

Peace & Love,

Cheri/Heada


NOTE:  For those of you, like me, who have no clue what peritoneal dialysis is here is a little description of  the peritoneum:
The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of mesothelium supported by a thin layer of connective tissue.
Latin: Peritoneum
Part of: Abdomen
Peritoneum - Wikipedia

Toxins are drained through the peritoneum as opposed to extracting them from the blood as in hemo dialysis.  He finds it to be much less invasive and more effective as it removes toxins every day just as your kidneys would instead of every 3 days as with hemo dialysis.

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Hello friends, family, neighbors, strangers... and thank you for visiting our Help4HeaddaGo FundMe Page. I'd like to tell you more about our two good friends, John “Headda” R. and his wife, Cheri.  Headda and Cheri have welcomed so many people into their homes over the years to share their love of music and life with others. They have offered so much to others - a friendly ear, warm welcome, food, hospitality and kindness - never asking for much in return. Recently, Headda was unexpectedly diagnosed with Late Stage Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).  With the help of his devoted wife, he has been treating himself at home with dialysis 8 hours a day, every day, since he first began treatment late last summer. Dialysis is a very serious, expensive, intense treatment, which uses artificial means to perform the life sustaining work that our kidneys usually do for us - filtering out the normal waste products that build up in our blood. Without treatment or a kidney transplant, Headda would not be able to live. While this is the most convenient form of dialysis for him, it has taken a tremendous toll on the couple financially, emotionally, and physically. Headda is currently out of work, and the couple is down to one income. Cheri feels overwhelmed, taking care of an ill husband, and trying to keep up with bills. Neither one wanted to share their story, neither one wanted to reach out for help, and for a long time, the people closest to the couple kept their story in confidence. Finances are so tight now, though, that help is necessary for the couple to keep their home and pay their bills. A small Facebook fundraiser quickly raised a lot of money, which is absolutely wonderful, and will help the couple pay all their bills this month. However, the couple will likely need long-term assistance while dealing with and managing this sudden, chronic, life-threatening diagnosis. This GoFundMe campaign was made to serve as a resource to assist the couple with paying the mortgage, utility bills, medical bills, and for other necessities, like groceries. If you have donated already, or can't afford to donate at the moment, a simple, cost-free way to help this struggling couple, is to share this campaign on your social media accounts, with your friends and family, to help spread the word. Cheri, Headda, close friends, and members of the band he plays in, PeacePipe, are currently working on organizing concert benefits. Whether or not you can attend, again, it always helps to simply share those events with people by posting them to your newsfeed on Facebook, or using your other social media accounts
to help us reach as many people as possible. This wonderful couple have both spent years working long hours at  hard jobs. They have so lovingly given so much of themselves to so many different people, animals, artists, non-artists, friends, family, and strangers, both young and old, alike. I don’t think they realize how many lives they have touched, with their music, hospitality, and kindness. This fundraiser was created on their behalf to help assist them with the financial burdens associated with CKD, to help relieve the intense financial pressure, so they can worry on what they most need to during this time - their health and well being - not whether or not they can pay all their bills for the month, and how... Whether you know these two people personally or don’t, can give a dollar or can’t, I hope their story inspires and touches your heart the same way these two have touched the hearts of so many others – with love, patience, kindness, hospitality and peace. I know so many are struggling right now, but hope you will consider making a small donation to help. If there’s anything we've learned from this couple, it’s that the gift of peace, love, and kindness goes a long way. If you can spare a single dollar to this wonderful couple, during their time of struggle, it would be most greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for your support, and we’ll keep you updated on their progress.

Olivia