Ashley Gates Liver Transplant Recovery

Dear Friends of Ashley Gates,

We are reaching out to you for your support, donations, and the request to share this fundraiser.

On May 18th our beloved friend Ashley received a life-saving liver transplant. With this transplant comes the immeasurable gift of a second chance of life for Ashley, but it also comes with a considerable financial burden. Even with insurance, the many costs are beyond what most people can handle and the ability to work during a large portion of her recovery is not an option. Ashley will have to relocate to New Orleans for up to a year to be near her medical team, so temporary housing, and moving expenses alongside all of the out of pocket costs for surgeries, specialty treatments, expensive medications, specific supplies, and the numerous additional and hidden costs of a life event of this magnitude will add up. Of course, there is also the cost of anything out-of-pocket which will be considerable from her month-long hospital stay, surgeries, and all that goes into an organ transplant.  As we know, insurance only goes so far and it cannot be understated that Ashley’s recovery and treatment will be life-long. Any donation amount to help alleviate the financial burden will help a great deal and also give her the ability to focus on the most important thing; her healing. 

We, (Chelsea, Mark, and a few others) who are aware of the path forward tallied an estimate based on medical advice and feedback from others who have received organ transplants to decide on our financial goal for this fundraiser. 

Ashley was diagnosed with Wilson’s Disease, a very rare liver condition, as a teenager and while she was able to manage this disease for some time, unfortunately, it progressed with a vengeance in the last 6 months which landed her at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans where her medical team from her early diagnosis is located. Under the care of those specialist who know her case well, she has been hospitalized for over a month waiting for the transplant approval (which was voted on unanimously in favor of her by the medical board) and then waiting on a donor that met all the criteria needed. 

Despite the extreme challenges that this has brought on, and the difficulty of her transplant approval falling on the first anniversary of her mother’s death, Ashley remains quite herself. Sending jokes through voice memo, describing with delight the small day-to-day absurdities, and delicately observing the obscure beauties in everything. We like to talk about her mother being around her now and how the sweetness and open-heartedness she leads with is certainly a family trait that she inherited.

Your donation, no matter the size will make a tangible difference in Ashley's life. Every dollar will go directly toward alleviating the financial burdens associated with her medical journey.

Beyond monetary contributions, please share this fundraiser, shamelessly, through email, text, social media, and beyond. The power of spreading awareness cannot be underestimated, as it amplifies our collective ability to make a lasting impact.

We cannot put into words how much we love Ashley, but we hope that this small attempt to write out our heartfelt request for you to rally around her will let her know in some small way.

With so much gratitude,

Mark, Chelsea, Meaghan