A kidney for Jake

Jake's journey began  in Oct 2017 when he went to  the eye doctor because of blurry vision.  His blood pressure was 240/106 and was sent to the ER  after 4 days of being hospitalized and numerous tests being done it discovered that Jake was in stage 4 kidney failure due to IGA Nephropathy (also known a Burger's disease...a disease in which IGA protein builds up and damages the kidney.  Aprox. 20% of people who develop this disease end up needing a new kidney.) Within 2 months he was being  prepped to be on the donor list for a new kidney. In July 2018 Jake began dialysis and continues to go three days a week for 4 hours a day.  Jake's  brother Peter was tested to become a donor and is a perfect match.  Their surgery is scheduled for April 3rd.

Jake is self employed, therefore he has no access to sick days or paid time off.  He works when he can but his hours are limited due to the fact that his dialysis drains him to the point of not being able to work and he is spending the better part of 3 days a week in the diaylsis center.  He is married to a wonderful woman named Amanda and has 2 little girls.  McKenzie is 9 and Sophie is 5.  The family had a long journey with Sophie as she was born with severe club club foot and hip dysplasia which led to 10 surgeries in 4 years. 

As Jake's mom I am setting up this Go Fund Me account to help their family with financial support through this trial in their lives.  I have watched Jake go out of his way to help others when he can barely hold his head up because he had a treatment that drained him of all his reserve energy.  I have also watched how his portion of the medical bills has added up to the hundreds of thousands (so much for Obamacare helping him). The condo the family was renting was put up for sale so Jake bought an old farm house which needs quite a bit of work.  I have watched how he is too sick  to be able to go to work yet he still does what he can. 

When I first asked Jake for permission to start this fund he said absolutely not!  He claimed that he had money in his savings account and they would be fine.  In the meantime the 1st port they put in for at home dialysis was placed  on a nerve and it was to painful for Jake to continue with that type of treatment.  He had to have another port put in but the 1st port was never taken out so needless to say it developed an infection.  Meanwhile the list of things Jake had to do to be put on the donor list was unending.  Chicken pox vaccinations (even though he already had chicken pox as a child), dental work, and the list goes on.   I would stop in to visit and Jake would be on the couch with the pillows over his head as the headaches he experienced were unbearable.  With tears I prayed for him along with his little girls, praying that a donor would come quickly so daddy would be well again.  We hoped dialysis would make him stronger as it would take some of the toxins out of his blood but it seemed to make him worse.  Sometime later I asked again if I could start this fund as and again he said no.  He still had some money.  

When Jake was ready to be put on the transplant list the entire family signed up and his brother Peter who is 1 year older was a perfect match.  After surgery both boys will be out of work for a while.  Jake 3 months and Peter at least 6 weeks.  In the spring Jake's  pressure washing business and carpet cleaning business are at their peak and  and he will not be able to work.  I came to Jake and asked once more, could I start a Go Fund Me account for you?  Very humbly he said,  "Yes, but Peter is going to be off of work and he is going to need help too".  This mama's heart is bursting with pride for both my boys.  One who is so sick yet he thinks of other before himself!  The other who is willing to give a kidney for his brother!

If you are able please donate to help Jake with his monthly financial strain and the enormous financial bill he is saddled with.  If not able to help financially please take some time to pray for Jake that his body accepts the new kidney and he is restored to complete health.  Thank you!