John Covell's Kidney Transplant
Donation protected
Exciting News for John and Joy Covell!
John will be receiving a kidney from his daughter, Amanda Covell on June 20th at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco!
We celebrate God’s goodness with providing a near perfect match for a kidney through Amanda. And we celebrate God’s provision of a hospital and team (through his niece in Modesto, CA), that will do the transplant!
John’s Story:
Go here (https://vimeo.com/268535431 ) for a video of John sharing his story in the context of a sermon he delivered to Desert Springs Bible Church on May 6, 2018.
In John’s Words:
In June of 2016 I went for what I thought was a fairly routine visit to my Dr. He listened to my lungs and performed a few other simple tests and sent me to the ER. At the ER they did some blood tests and determined that I had “almost zero kidney function” and that I was to be admitted immediately. This began my first hospital stay of the year, lasting about two weeks.
Two weeks after that first discharge I was re-admitted for what turned out to be a mysterious infectious blood disease. During the next three weeks I was very seriously ill, spending several days in the ICU. Terms like MRSA and sepsis were being considered as the doctors tried many different types and combinations of antibiotics and blood transfusions to rid my body of the infection.
I was eventually discharged and continued receiving antibiotics during each of my dialysis treatments until they determined that the infection had finally been beaten. I was moving forward in my “new normal” which included three 3.5 hour dialysis treatments each week.
During the Fall and Winter of 2016 I began developing sever pain in my back, radiating from my spine outward. I began the ritual of seeing various doctors and was in and out of the Barrow Brain and Spine Center until one of their surgeons determined that the infection I had earlier in the year had made its way into several of my vertebrae, creating a condition called vertebral osteomyelitis. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertebral_osteomyelitis ). The treatment for this was the insertion of two titanium rods attached to my vertebrae in 15 places. Additionally, I has 13 months of physical therapy to regain some of the strength and physical abilities I lost through these challenges. The photos below show my x-ray after the spinal surgery and the accompanying incision.”
Here we are – two years later and the miracle of medical transplant is before us.
We need two things from you, dear friends:
First and foremost, we need PRAYER, starting now and going beyond the transplant date. Here is how you can pray:
1. THANK GOD for His sweet provision of:
a. Air miles for travel for John, Amanda and Joy
b. Hotel points for this week
2. Pray for John’s health, that he will stay healthy and strong for the transplant procedure
3. Pray that his body will accept (not reject) the donated kidney – and that God will pour life into the kidney once it is attached to John’s body!
4. Pray for John’s daughter, Amanda – the “Donor”:
a. That she remain healthy and strong for the procedure
b. That she is blessed with a fast recovery
c. Protection against any future issues that would affect her remaining kidney
5. The transplant team - The transplant procedures begin at 6:00 am on Wednesday, June 20th:
a. God’s wisdom and skill during the procedure
6. Hospital administrative teams:
a. If they don’t know Jesus, they would be blessed by His grace through Joy, John and Amanda.
John’s previous hospital stays afforded multiple opportunities to share his spiritual perspective and for the medical staff to see the Body of Christ in action!
b. All administrative (insurance) issues be resolved easily and with grace and mercy (patience).
7. Hospital medical care team:
a. All would see God’s grace, mercy and love through Joy, John and Amanda
b. Nurses would be well rested, sharp and on alert for any issues that may arise
8. Pray for Joy:
a. For her health and energy throughout the process
b. For peace – the kind that God gives – as both her husband and daughter have surgery
c. Free her from worry over medical and financial issues
d. That God would use the experience to show others His Light
Secondly, as many of you have graciously offered to help financially, we would appreciate your support in this area too.
As the transplant is taking place in San Francisco, that means additional expenses on top of the already overwhelming costs of the pre-operative, the procedure, and the post-operative. We need support to help cover:
1. Existing balance of medical $12,000
2. Travel for John back and forth to San Francisco for follow up appointments
3. Anti-rejection drugs (monthly costs not yet known)
4. Transplant costs – not yet known
John will require anti-rejection medicine for the remainder of his life. The first several months will require taking up wards of 20 different medications daily, with the expectation of gradual reduction as his body accepts Amanda’s kidney. The initial price tag for these is in the tens of thousands per month, most of which should be covered by insurance. However, there are limits. Best-case scenario would be for these meds to begin dropping down after the first three months. But we can’t predict that at this point.
It is difficult to determine the total medical cost for the transplant, and we are trusting for God’s provision for financial support in this area. Joy and John have incurred medical expenses over the past two years that have reached a staggering total.
Your gift would help bring sweet relief to Joy and John.
ALL GLORY IS TO GOD. He is the CREATOR and DIVINE HEALER!
Yours in His Love,
Joy and John's Family
John will be receiving a kidney from his daughter, Amanda Covell on June 20th at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco!
We celebrate God’s goodness with providing a near perfect match for a kidney through Amanda. And we celebrate God’s provision of a hospital and team (through his niece in Modesto, CA), that will do the transplant!
John’s Story:
Go here (https://vimeo.com/268535431 ) for a video of John sharing his story in the context of a sermon he delivered to Desert Springs Bible Church on May 6, 2018.
In John’s Words:
In June of 2016 I went for what I thought was a fairly routine visit to my Dr. He listened to my lungs and performed a few other simple tests and sent me to the ER. At the ER they did some blood tests and determined that I had “almost zero kidney function” and that I was to be admitted immediately. This began my first hospital stay of the year, lasting about two weeks.
Two weeks after that first discharge I was re-admitted for what turned out to be a mysterious infectious blood disease. During the next three weeks I was very seriously ill, spending several days in the ICU. Terms like MRSA and sepsis were being considered as the doctors tried many different types and combinations of antibiotics and blood transfusions to rid my body of the infection.
I was eventually discharged and continued receiving antibiotics during each of my dialysis treatments until they determined that the infection had finally been beaten. I was moving forward in my “new normal” which included three 3.5 hour dialysis treatments each week.
During the Fall and Winter of 2016 I began developing sever pain in my back, radiating from my spine outward. I began the ritual of seeing various doctors and was in and out of the Barrow Brain and Spine Center until one of their surgeons determined that the infection I had earlier in the year had made its way into several of my vertebrae, creating a condition called vertebral osteomyelitis. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertebral_osteomyelitis ). The treatment for this was the insertion of two titanium rods attached to my vertebrae in 15 places. Additionally, I has 13 months of physical therapy to regain some of the strength and physical abilities I lost through these challenges. The photos below show my x-ray after the spinal surgery and the accompanying incision.”
Here we are – two years later and the miracle of medical transplant is before us.
We need two things from you, dear friends:
First and foremost, we need PRAYER, starting now and going beyond the transplant date. Here is how you can pray:
1. THANK GOD for His sweet provision of:
a. Air miles for travel for John, Amanda and Joy
b. Hotel points for this week
2. Pray for John’s health, that he will stay healthy and strong for the transplant procedure
3. Pray that his body will accept (not reject) the donated kidney – and that God will pour life into the kidney once it is attached to John’s body!
4. Pray for John’s daughter, Amanda – the “Donor”:
a. That she remain healthy and strong for the procedure
b. That she is blessed with a fast recovery
c. Protection against any future issues that would affect her remaining kidney
5. The transplant team - The transplant procedures begin at 6:00 am on Wednesday, June 20th:
a. God’s wisdom and skill during the procedure
6. Hospital administrative teams:
a. If they don’t know Jesus, they would be blessed by His grace through Joy, John and Amanda.
John’s previous hospital stays afforded multiple opportunities to share his spiritual perspective and for the medical staff to see the Body of Christ in action!
b. All administrative (insurance) issues be resolved easily and with grace and mercy (patience).
7. Hospital medical care team:
a. All would see God’s grace, mercy and love through Joy, John and Amanda
b. Nurses would be well rested, sharp and on alert for any issues that may arise
8. Pray for Joy:
a. For her health and energy throughout the process
b. For peace – the kind that God gives – as both her husband and daughter have surgery
c. Free her from worry over medical and financial issues
d. That God would use the experience to show others His Light
Secondly, as many of you have graciously offered to help financially, we would appreciate your support in this area too.
As the transplant is taking place in San Francisco, that means additional expenses on top of the already overwhelming costs of the pre-operative, the procedure, and the post-operative. We need support to help cover:
1. Existing balance of medical $12,000
2. Travel for John back and forth to San Francisco for follow up appointments
3. Anti-rejection drugs (monthly costs not yet known)
4. Transplant costs – not yet known
John will require anti-rejection medicine for the remainder of his life. The first several months will require taking up wards of 20 different medications daily, with the expectation of gradual reduction as his body accepts Amanda’s kidney. The initial price tag for these is in the tens of thousands per month, most of which should be covered by insurance. However, there are limits. Best-case scenario would be for these meds to begin dropping down after the first three months. But we can’t predict that at this point.
It is difficult to determine the total medical cost for the transplant, and we are trusting for God’s provision for financial support in this area. Joy and John have incurred medical expenses over the past two years that have reached a staggering total.
Your gift would help bring sweet relief to Joy and John.
ALL GLORY IS TO GOD. He is the CREATOR and DIVINE HEALER!
Yours in His Love,
Joy and John's Family
Organizer and beneficiary
Kim Bowman Obert
Organizer
Sun City, AZ
John Covell
Beneficiary