Dale's Kidney-Pancreas Transplant Fund
Donation protected
On July 17th, 2017 my dad, Dale, was diagnosed with Kidney Failure with kidney function only at 26%. This was only the beginning of countless visits to the VA hospital and to the University of Iowa Hospital for testing and check-ups.
During September of that year, they discovered that my dad was anemic and that his kidneys weren’t producing a hormone that generates red blood cells. October came and he found out that his kidney function dropped from 26% to 23% which is classified as Stage 4 Kidney Disease. Unfortunately, his Nephrologist informed him that he would not be able to join the transplant waitlist process until his function levels dropped to 20%. At that point, there was nothing we could do but be wait by his side.
On December 11th, 2017, my dad’s kidney function dropped down to 18% which classified as Stage 5 Kidney Disease, making him a candidate for the transplant waitlist. Dale has type 1 diabetes, which is a chronic life-threatening autoimmune disease that affects his day to day life. On the bright side, with the need for a kidney transplant, there was an opportunity to simultaneously receive a new pancreas, which would cure his diabetes. The goal of waiting for a transplant was to give him a healthy kidney and pancreas that are low-risk and unlikely to contribute to diabetes-related kidney damage in the future.
Time passed and my mom continued to take off the necessary time from work to take my dad back and forth from the VA Hospital here in Phoenix and the Hospital in Iowa where the transplant team is located as his legal caregiver. He had to complete a multitude of tests and exams just to qualify for the transplant list and even more to stay on it. He had to be healthy and mentally-stable enough to receive the organs as well as have a fighting spirit and a network of loved ones around him who can aid in times of need. Fast forward to March of 2018, I was getting married and wanted my dad to walk me down the aisle – being mindful of the fact that he could receive a call for a transplant. If this happened, he might have to take the opportunity and wouldn’t be able to see his adopted daughter’s Wedding or be able to give her away on a day I had dreamt about with him part of it. I didn’t know until a few days before my Wedding that my dad had actually received a call for a transplant but had turned it down so he could be there for that moment (which was the most ridiculous thing to do in the world!) My dad could have been on the road to recovery sooner and living a less stressful life already if he would have taken the opportunity then but he wanted to be there for me. That’s my dad for you, a stubborn fighter.
As the year went on, he received a few more phone calls saying that there were matches but there always ended up being issues with the donor’s organs we would come to find out. There were so many close calls and hopeful moments, but nothing came through. Talk about roller coasters of emotions. On February 26th, my parents received a call and rushed to Iowa where a potential match seemed promising. The donor’s organ was in the top 2%, he was young, had lived a healthy lifestyle, and all of the things you hope to hear. Finally, it had seemed that all of our patience, stress, and tears were worth the wait. He was flown into Iowa James Bond-style on an AirEvac jet with an in-flight medical time who prepped him for surgery and was ultimately broken the news that the surgery would be canceled due to an organ issue where the match had a defect/1 too many arteries. They spent some time in Iowa, waiting at the top of the priority list and eventually returned home after things started to be less optimistic. Coincidentally, after my parents had just come home from the false alarm, spending literally one full day back at home, they received another call and decided to get back into the air yet again to return to Iowa.
My dad received his Kidney-Pancreas transplant on March 5th, 2020.
(Pre and Post-surgery)
I would like to help my parents out through this hardship by attempting to support them in this way so that it can alleviate one form of stress from them. My mom is currently taking the time that is needed off so that she can be my dad’s caregiver, which makes things more difficult than they should be during an already difficult time. The expected recovery time before traveling home is even an option is 6 to 8 weeks because his body won’t be able to fight off any threats until he recovers. Your generosity will aid in affording the necessary medications, additional medical expenses that aren’t covered, travel costs, and accommodations while they’re away, waiting for his recovery and through physical therapy.
Thank you so much for your kindness and support,
Athena and family
During September of that year, they discovered that my dad was anemic and that his kidneys weren’t producing a hormone that generates red blood cells. October came and he found out that his kidney function dropped from 26% to 23% which is classified as Stage 4 Kidney Disease. Unfortunately, his Nephrologist informed him that he would not be able to join the transplant waitlist process until his function levels dropped to 20%. At that point, there was nothing we could do but be wait by his side.
On December 11th, 2017, my dad’s kidney function dropped down to 18% which classified as Stage 5 Kidney Disease, making him a candidate for the transplant waitlist. Dale has type 1 diabetes, which is a chronic life-threatening autoimmune disease that affects his day to day life. On the bright side, with the need for a kidney transplant, there was an opportunity to simultaneously receive a new pancreas, which would cure his diabetes. The goal of waiting for a transplant was to give him a healthy kidney and pancreas that are low-risk and unlikely to contribute to diabetes-related kidney damage in the future.
Time passed and my mom continued to take off the necessary time from work to take my dad back and forth from the VA Hospital here in Phoenix and the Hospital in Iowa where the transplant team is located as his legal caregiver. He had to complete a multitude of tests and exams just to qualify for the transplant list and even more to stay on it. He had to be healthy and mentally-stable enough to receive the organs as well as have a fighting spirit and a network of loved ones around him who can aid in times of need. Fast forward to March of 2018, I was getting married and wanted my dad to walk me down the aisle – being mindful of the fact that he could receive a call for a transplant. If this happened, he might have to take the opportunity and wouldn’t be able to see his adopted daughter’s Wedding or be able to give her away on a day I had dreamt about with him part of it. I didn’t know until a few days before my Wedding that my dad had actually received a call for a transplant but had turned it down so he could be there for that moment (which was the most ridiculous thing to do in the world!) My dad could have been on the road to recovery sooner and living a less stressful life already if he would have taken the opportunity then but he wanted to be there for me. That’s my dad for you, a stubborn fighter.
As the year went on, he received a few more phone calls saying that there were matches but there always ended up being issues with the donor’s organs we would come to find out. There were so many close calls and hopeful moments, but nothing came through. Talk about roller coasters of emotions. On February 26th, my parents received a call and rushed to Iowa where a potential match seemed promising. The donor’s organ was in the top 2%, he was young, had lived a healthy lifestyle, and all of the things you hope to hear. Finally, it had seemed that all of our patience, stress, and tears were worth the wait. He was flown into Iowa James Bond-style on an AirEvac jet with an in-flight medical time who prepped him for surgery and was ultimately broken the news that the surgery would be canceled due to an organ issue where the match had a defect/1 too many arteries. They spent some time in Iowa, waiting at the top of the priority list and eventually returned home after things started to be less optimistic. Coincidentally, after my parents had just come home from the false alarm, spending literally one full day back at home, they received another call and decided to get back into the air yet again to return to Iowa.
My dad received his Kidney-Pancreas transplant on March 5th, 2020.
(Pre and Post-surgery)I would like to help my parents out through this hardship by attempting to support them in this way so that it can alleviate one form of stress from them. My mom is currently taking the time that is needed off so that she can be my dad’s caregiver, which makes things more difficult than they should be during an already difficult time. The expected recovery time before traveling home is even an option is 6 to 8 weeks because his body won’t be able to fight off any threats until he recovers. Your generosity will aid in affording the necessary medications, additional medical expenses that aren’t covered, travel costs, and accommodations while they’re away, waiting for his recovery and through physical therapy.
Thank you so much for your kindness and support,
Athena and family
Organizer and beneficiary
Athena Bates
Organizer
Phoenix, AZ
Kat Simmons
Beneficiary