Dustin's Liver Transplant Journey

Hi, my name is Erin, and I am fundraising for a dear friend, Dustin. On May 4th Dustin became one of over 17,500 Americans who went on the liver transplant list. Thankfully for Dustin, a family graciously decided to donate the liver of their loved one. This gift has provided Dustin, who is only 47 years old, with the opportunity to continue to live a full life with his beautiful wife, Gail and his amazing son Logan.

Dustin's journey began in 2009 when he was diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cholangitis, an autoimmune disorder that causes the liver to attack itself. In 2014, Dustin was diagnosed with a second autoimmune disorder called autoimmune hepatitis. Since then, Dustin has faced many battles concerning his health.

In 2019 he faced one of his and his family's scariest moments. Complications from his disorders landed him in the hospital. Dustin almost lost his battle, but thanks to a strong will and an even stronger faith, he finally made it back home after two weeks. Unfortunately, since then, Dustin has been unable to work.

This year on April 25, after days of not feeling well, Dustin ended up back in the hospital. After a few days at our local hospital, Dustin was transferred to UK Hospital and began testing to see if he was a candidate for a transplant. On May 4th Dustin was placed on the transplant list, and by the next day, Dustin had surgery and received a new liver.

Everyone involved in Dustin's care has done a fantastic job and Dustin is progressing as expected. Our motto has been "one step at a time", as we all know this will be a neverending journey. Dustin will return to the hospital two times a week for the next 6-8 weeks. Then as long as he is doing well, his follow-ups will change to weekly visits for an undetermined time.

Dustin has been a superstar the whole time. His strength has been inspirational, as has the strength of his wife Gail and son Logan. Together they have a long journey ahead of them and a complete lifestyle change. Dustin will require 24-hour care for the first three months post-transplant. Additionally, he will be on 16 different medications for one year and then 8 medications for the rest of his life.

As we all know, insurance does not cover everything in situations like this. Not only will Dustin and his family be responsible for the portion of the surgery that insurance does not cover, but they will also have additional bills for care, follow-ups, medications, and travel expenses just to name a few. And the bills have already started to roll in.

Friends of the family have wanted to do something for the family that is truly helpful. We are setting a goal to raise $200,000 to assist with the cost of the surgery and all of the follow-up care. No matter the donation amount, every dollar counts and is greatly appreciated. With your help, we can shoulder the monetary burden for this family and allow them to focus on healing.

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Thank you in advance for your support, encouragement, and prayers.