Cooper's Kidney Crew

Hi, my name is Michael Heeney. I am raising funds for my son and our families in preparation for my son Cooper's kidney transplant. Cooper was born with kidney disease and we have known since his birth, that he would need a kidney transplant. Well, that day is growing closer. On March 8, he will be going to Toronto Sick Kids Hospital to have one of his kidneys removed. The next step after that is the transplant, which will happen about 2 months later. I will be the one donating the kidney to Cooper. So as you can imagine, this is something that hits pretty close to home.

The purpose of this fundraiser will be to raise money for such things as travel expenses, hotel stays, and to help our families with bills and other expenses during his stay and recovery from this transplant. As the donor, I will be off of work for 6-8 weeks while I recover and I have been informed by my insurance company that I will not be eligible for compensation (short-term disability) during my time off, because it is an elective surgery on my part. My girlfriend Andrea StClair will also be off of work for a short time, while I recover and while Cooper remains in the hospital.

Then there is Cooper's mom, Lindsey Kavanagh and her partner Will Lennon and their family. Lindsey and Will have been a huge part of this process for Cooper. Lindsey is the rock that Cooper counts on and she has been the biggest part of Cooper's journey. She has been the one that takes Cooper to all of his appointments, tests, and previous surgeries and hospital stays. She will also be the one that is by his side throughout the surgery and Cooper's recovery to follow.

I would like to thank everyone that takes the time to read our story and to help out during this new chapter that both families face.