Liver Transplant

Hi, my name is Bobbi Jo Ledwig, my Daughter is Leslie Sanders. She is is in STL, awaiting a liver transplant at Barnes Jewish Hospital. I am commuting back and forth from Texas

I live by Austin,Texas, she lives in St. Louis, Mo. So traveling fees are accumulating rapidly.

She became too ill to continue to work at all. I have a career in Texas, but FMLA will not cover my adult child, even when they are terminal. I am alotted a 30 day personal leave without pay. I have 2 weeks Paid time off, but this will diminish rapidly.

I was here w her a month ago in St. Louis for a Dr. Appointment and seeing what options she has for her auto immune disease was and how to proceed w her circumstances, up until then she worked when she could at her full time job. Her full time job became too much because her fevers have been spiking uncontrollably and unexpectedly, we needed to see what options she had to alleviate the symptoms and get her in better health.

She has auto immune hepatitis and had a liver transplant at 11 yrs old. It developed complications along the way over the years. So she needs immediate transplantation of her liver at this point. She is waiting for a donor as we speak. 22 May 2022 is today's date.

Today, she is fighting for her life, literally.

Her spleen had a procedure 10 yrs ago that saved her. A stent was placed between her spleen and liver for a blockage, now that stent has scar tissue, it saved her then but had unforseen complications that has landed her in this position. She has developed cirrhosis to her liver from the scarring and sepsis this has caused some other things to go awry in her blood work constantly. She is stable enough to have her transplant. That is a miracle and I am so very grateful.

She has developed a blood clot IN the liver that already has developed cirrhosis, so it has to be removed and the other problems and things causing these other complicating can and will be addressed when they have her open in the transplant surgery. She has of course had that stent and all the scar tissue that is now making things tough, the dead liver w cirrhosis and blood clots will be removed and her bile duct can be examined.

We never have been able to determine why her fevers were spiking or why the sepsis is almost predictable, a few times a week and always over 103.

There has been some things going on for a while, Her fever spiked to 104 when I was present one night a month ago, she said that was a regular occurrence. It makes her dillusional and she had to miss a lot of work due to these fevers.

She is normally a size 2, her stomach swells and they have to extract fluid from her, which is very painful. She looks at times like she is 9 months pregnant. That is also painful and suppresses her appetite. Her stomach and organs are being pushed into positions that are not normal for her

She is in the ICU currently and has been in the Barnes Jewish Hospital for 4 weeks

She is the most generous, loving person I know. She helped raise her juvenile cousins, she has a GodSon, and she cannot work. She will not be returning anytime soon. I have to stay and do her aftercare and pay her bills. We have filed for disability, however, those wheels turn slow. My Dad also is traveling 2 hrs, and w gas prices, he will also need help w that.

Your generosity means everything right now!!!

She has to have a place close to the Hospital. She has an apt in STL, we just don't know how we are going to juggle her medical needs and me a temp job that has flexibility and the understanding of what her needs may be.

I have contacted a place in the same line of business that I have, but since I am here temporarily and the circumstances may force me to abruptly quit, ppl don't want to take a chance on a person maybe only working a few months, it looks promising, but her care may take 24 hrs a day for a while, so I have to support her and myself while I take care of her.

Any help would be a Godsend.

She is too proud to ever ask for help, and I am too so this took a lot of courage to write.

I just want my kid healthy.

She is 31 yrs old, no kids and never been married

She deserves to have the best chance..

Also, prayers and positive thoughts and vibes are important as well, so thank you for those as well.

Please pass n share

Thank you SO MUCH!!!

Updated 6/16/2022

She has had a stroke and has an aneurysm in the middle of the part of her brain that controls motor skills. I will need a place to move her to. She has 3 flights of stairs and will not be able to navigate those when she gets home.

New home fees and any motor skill advancements like a ramp may be needed. I want to be prepared

We appreciate and love you.

Bobbi Jo Ledwig and on behalf of my Daughter, Leslie Arab Sanders