American Transplant Foundation

Andrea is 50 years old and is unable to work due to several health complications. Andrea enjoys reading, gardening, and cooking. She also likes videos and spending time with her cat. Andrea devotes time to her nephew and other dialysis patients whenever possible, and has been an inspiration to many other dialysis patients with her determination to live despite many health setbacks. Some assistance would allow her to buy some new clothes around the holidays.

Matt, 66 years old, has been on dialysis for 4 years. He lives alone, but recently moved to a 2-bedroom apartment so his daughter and granddaughter could move in if needed. Matt used to own a barbeque business, where he and his brother worked as chefs in their large mobile kitchen unit. He misses the days when he used to cook up a barbeque and serve others. Matt recently had a mild stroke that landed him in the hospital. He came back with slurred speech, which has improved over time. He remains positive throughout all that he goes through, and is gracious for all assistance provided.

George M. is a single man, living with his father.  He “lives for” his niece and nephew, whom he visits as often as possible, though he has limited opportunities because he has dialysis 3x/week. He is awaiting help to obtain his dentures, and has very little income for himself. Anything to help him afford other things would be a blessing this holiday season.

Bill received his transplant in 1986!  He has worked very hard to maintain an independent and productive life, working full-time until one year ago.  He recently experienced severe lung problems and is no longer able to work, and as a result, he lost his home to foreclosure last year.  Bill is a lovely person.  He adopted a cat and a dog several years ago, and is very devoted to them.  Sometimes it is a financial struggle for him to feed them, but he always makes them a priority.

Joel is 58 years old, and he lost his job in radio because of chronic kidney disease. Joel lives alone with his dog. He enjoys music, especially oldies rock, and loves reading. Joel has a large collection of records and tapes, and he enjoys discussing music and the radio industry with people. He likes to go for walks, cook, and spend time with his neighbors and friends. A little help this holiday season would enable him to do something outside of his normal routine.

This patient is disabled and on dialysis.  He has been disabled for many years and has been unable to work, but stays active and is involved in his church. His financial situation is heavily strained, as he relies on disability payments. Despite the hardship, he manages to maintain independence by driving himself to church and to dialysis.  This patient would be appreciative of any support in the form of groceries or a gas card.

Noe is a father of three children who works full time for an excavating company. He is married and lives with his wife in Longmont. He got a kidney transplant in June 2011.  Noe does not carry any long term or short-term disability so he was without a paycheck for a month after his transplant. The Foundation helped Noe’s family with rent while he recovered from his surgery. During that time, his wife was pregnant.
A possible donation with a gift card to Walmart/Target would be wonderful for this patient and his three kids!

John received his kidney transplant when he was only 20. Unfortunately, his disease reoccurred and he will need a new transplant after only seven years. John is a single father with a beautiful 5 year old daughter.  He works as he is able, but finances are very strained for him. There is no relationship with the daughter’s mother.  He would benefit from a $25 gift certificate for groceries, as food is sometimes scarce. This patient must eat well to stay well, but often food is where he must cut expenses.

This patient is patiently waiting on a kidney transplant, but has been on dialysis for many years.  He is retired, as is his wife.  Despite having multiple medical problems this past year, this patient ALWAYS comes into the dialysis clinic with a smile on his face.  He makes a point of greeting every patient at the clinic.  This patient never asks for anything, even though he could certainly use any assistance.  His wife was ill last year and had to spend some time in a nursing facility.  Thankfully, she is home for the holidays this year; they would be so appreciative of any assistance!

Dwight is a father of two kids, who works as a writer for tv.  Dwight had his kidney transplant 7 months ago.  He has been remarkably independent while undergoing dialysis treatments.  As a freelance writer in L.A., Dwight has had considerable success, even in this economy.  The Foundation assisted Dwight when he faced a temporary shortage of funds due to his inability to work during the first three months post transplant, as the clinic schedule is demanding, and he has had both public contact and driving restrictions.

Alda D. lives with her disabled husband who was injured on the job doing construction work, and is currently trying to get back to work.  Alda is a dialysis patient and a diabetic, but she often babysits her grandchildren to help out her daughters. Any donation to make her holidays a little cheerier would be appreciated.

This patient has been unable to work due to her illness, and her significant other has been unable to find a job.  This patient has a teenage daughter who will be graduating high school early and going off to college.  This patient gives what she can to her daughter, but there is just not much available.  This family would greatly benefit from assistance with groceries for the holiday season.

This patient has been disabled and on dialysis for many years.  He had quite a few hospitalizations last year and is unable to work or live on his own.  He relies on help from his family, and does not have the ability to do many things for himself.  This patient is very thoughtful of others and his fellow dialysis patients think highly of him.  It would be wonderful for him to be able to buy something for himself this year at Christmas.

This patient had a kidney transplant many years ago. That kidney worked for a while, but eventually failed, and she returned to dialysis.  She is again waiting for a kidney transplant.  Unfortunately, due to her illness, she cannot work outside of the home and stays home, taking care of her child.  Her husband currently has a full-time job, but will be laid off very soon. This patient would benefit from assistance with groceries or assistance to provide Christmas gifts for her child, especially in anticipation of her husband losing his job.

Elmer donated a kidney to his wife, Sylvia, last October. They have very limited financial resources.  Elmer lives in Erie, CO.  The Foundation helped Elmer to cover his rent for June 2011, while he worked to reinstate his disability payments. A donated gift card to Wal-Mart would be wonderful for Elmer and Sylvia.

Lori H. is a single mom who takes care of a high school senior, as well as a grown daughter with 3 grandchildren–all living with her.  She has been on dialysis for several years and is often unable to afford anything extra for herself.

Bonnie P. lives by herself and is unable to drive because of vision difficulties.  She always rides public transportation to get to her dialysis treatments, and always arrives with an optimistic outlook. Though she has friends in her apartment complex, living alone and with very limited income, anything to allow her to treat herself these holidays would be appreciated.

Joe is a lovely young man who is single and lives alone.  He had a kidney transplant in 2007.  He has had brittle, difficult to control diabetes since childhood.  Joe’s kidney is functioning well, but he is disabled from heart disease and retinopathy due to diabetic complications.  Joe is unable to work.  He has applied for many jobs, but cannot see well enough to perform them.  He receives Social Security Disability but it is not enough to make ends meet.  He would very much appreciate and welcome a $25 gift for groceries.  Diabetic diets are expensive, and this gift would help him eat better.

This patient is a young man who has been on dialysis for many years. Despite being young and having kidney disease, he has been trying to live on his own and has been searching to find a job so he can support himself. He receives some assistance, but finds it difficult to make ends meet.  This patient would be thankful for any assistance you can give.

 Marcellus received a kidney on January 16th, 2011.  He is having financial difficulty post-transplant. The Foundation helped Marcellus to cover his rent for the month of July 2011.  Marcellus works as an adjunct professor at a community college, but was unable to teach summer school this year due to his health. His wife would love to have an opportunity to take him out for dinner this holiday season. Due to financial difficulties, they haven’t been able to go to restaurants this past year.

Oliver is 52 years old and has been on dialysis for one year. He lives in an apartment with his wife and daughter. He has another daughter in Mexico, and a grandchild who he gets to see about once a year. He hopes to travel to Mexico in the next few weeks but cannot stay long, as he cannot afford treatment down there and needs to get back for dialysis. Oliver always has a smile on his face, even though he has trouble sleeping and may go 24 hours without adequate rest. His wife recently had to stop working due to a back injury. Oliver cannot work as he is too tired and weak. He is trying to get on the kidney transplant list so he won’t need to come to dialysis any longer.

Maria is employed full-time as a housekeeper in Snowmass, CO.  She donated a kidney to her husband in October 2011.  The family lives in a mobile home and Maria is the primary provider.  They have an 8 year-old son.  Maria’s husband receives a monthly disability check in the amount of $1,281.  Maria has the emotional support of her family, but limited financial resources.  She didn’t have paid leave from her employer during her recovery period.  The family has incurred financial stress due to this donation.  Maria received financial support from the Foundation to help her cover November’s mortgage.

This patient always has a house full of people he takes care of.  He is a single father; his older children are grown, but he still has teenagers at home.  When one of his other family members needs help, he takes them in, despite his own lack of resources.  He cannot work anymore due to his illness and had to take early retirement.  He requires many medications, which take up a good part of his income each month.  This patient likes to provide for his family and usually cooks for them, so assistance with groceries would be appreciated.

Sam, 62 years old, has been on dialysis for about 9 months. He and his wife have two children, both in college. He talks proudly of his family and how they came home for Thanksgiving. He has had numerous medical bills over the years from countless procedures, including surgeries to remove some of his toes. Sam and his wife are now looking for a new apartment, as each year their lease increases and they can no longer stay there. A donation to help Sam and his wife during the holidays would be much appreciated.

Jason F. went back on dialysis after rejecting a kidney transplant of several years.  He is a “cowboy”: i.e. he runs a farm, keeps horses, and works hard at his home.  His children are grown, and help him with the farm occasionally.  Monies are tight to purchase anything, sometimes including food.

This patient has been on dialysis for many years and has had many medical issues, including multiple hospitalizations.  Due to her medical problems, she requires many different medications.
Although the patient has insurance, the co-pays for her medications are extremely expensive.  She relies on her retirement income, but her monthly expenses eat up most of her funds.  She would appreciate help with groceries.

This patient and her husband have very limited resources and income.  She has been on dialysis for many years and is not a candidate to receive a kidney transplant.  She has been unable to work due to her illness; her husband is retired and they rely on their Social Security to make ends meet each month.  Her medical bills do not leave much money at the end of the month.  She and her husband would benefit from assistance either with groceries or at Target or Wal-Mart.

Sharon is a 68 year old woman who had a live donor liver transplant from her daughter in 2001.  She has done very well since her transplant and does a good job taking her meds and being compliant with medical recommendations. The Foundation assisted Sharon with a co-payment for medical procedures she needed in June, 2011.  Sharon is on a fixed income, living in low income housing and is barely able to pay the co-pays for her anti-rejection medications. Any assistance for the holidays would be appreciated.

Scott received a kidney transplant in 2000.  He did well for many years, and was able to return to work. However, approximately two years ago, Scott became very ill with severe infections. His kidney function has been fine, but he has had frequent hospitalizations for infections, dehydration, etc.  Scott is divorced and has two lovely daughters, ages 15 and 17.  Scott has become disabled, and can no longer work.  Finances are very strained for him.  He would welcome any help.  A $25 gift certificate for groceries would be a great gift this holiday season.

Anna is a 43 year old woman who donated her kidney to her sister in July 2011. She lives in Longmont and works in a factory on an assembly line.
Due to the nature of her job she needed to take three weeks off of work, and one week was without pay. She was also in the middle of going through a divorce and was in-between apartments. Prior to donation she was living paycheck to paycheck, so taking a week without pay was a big deal for her. Despite her financial concerns, she was willing to donate her kidney to her sister as soon as possible. The Foundation assisted Anna with rent for the month of August.

This patient is a fixture in his neighborhood; many days he can be seen walking from the nursing home where he lives to a local restaurant to visit with friends.
He does not have any family locally and does not have means to buy himself anything personal.  While he has shelter, food, and medications at the nursing home, all his money goes to the facility.  A donation or a gift card to Wal-Mart would be wonderful for this patient.

Lupe is a gracious woman who became a living kidney donor for her husband in October of 2011. She is the primary provider for her family and did not have paid leave from her employer during her recovery period. Lupe has returned to work, but her family has experienced some financial stress due to this transplant.
Lupe has requested a $25.00 Walmart gift card to use towards the purchase of a remote- control car for her 8 year old son.

This patient has been on dialysis for about two years, and is a great support to her fellow dialysis patients.  She likes to share her story with others about how she became ill, hoping to help others avoid going through what she experienced. This patient is raising her teenage granddaughter, who is very active in school.  Finances have been very stressful for this patient; she is unable to work, as she does not have the strength to hold a job.  This patient would be appreciative for something she can do for her granddaughter.

Ben McCleary is marrried with two small children. He works part-time and drives from Estes Park (25 miles away) to and from dialysis three days a week.  He calls the other patients on his shift his “extended family.”  He is always ready with a smile and tries to maintain a positive attitude in spite of the difficult financial challenges he and his family face.  He relates he will “get by” this Christmas as they always do, but a little help would be appreciated.

This patient has been on dialysis for quite a few years and is waiting for a kidney transplant.  He and his wife help to care for his ailing father.  As this patient is unable to work, finances are very strained.
He would truly benefit from any assistance.  He does what he can to take care of his family and this does not leave much for this patient to do anything for himself.

Andrew, 64 years old, has been on dialysis for about one year. He didn’t know he was sick until he got in a car accident and was brought to the ER. They then found he was in renal failure and needed to start dialysis immediately. Andrew recently lost his wife, whom he talks about often and misses greatly. He says she was the love of his life. He now lives with his daughter, who lost her job within the last 5 months. They survive off of his income and are struggling to make ends meet. He is always grateful for any type of assistance he is given, and keeps a positive attitude. Despite his difficulties, Andrew continues to arrive at dialysis with a smile on his face and always with an encouraging word.

This dialysis patient is a very busy person.  He and his wife are both disabled and they do everything they can to provide for their kids.  This patient stays healthy and is on the transplant list, waiting for a kidney.
He is very upbeat and positive and always makes the staff at the clinic laugh. Everyone looks forward to seeing him when he comes in for treatment!  He and his family would greatly benefit from help to buy a few Christmas gifts for his children.