Mother's Kidney Transplant Fund

Kristie Staas is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Shelia Whitten.

Donation protected

In early 2000, Shelia Whitten, our mother, was prescribed medicine for her acid reflux. She took this medicine for 10 years.

In 2008, she was informed she had Stage 3 Kidney Disease, potentially caused by the acid reflux medicine. In 2017, she was informed by her doctor she needed to look for a new kidney because her Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) had gone down to 15. (Normal GFR is 90+). At GFR 13, one goes on dialysis.

She is too old for a non-living transplant in Texas. It would take 10 to 15 years to find a donor in our state. So she researched the top 10 transplant hospitals and narrowed it down to UnityPoint Health - Iowa Methodist Transplant Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

In autumn 2017, our parents traveled to Iowa in their RV to see if our mom would qualify for a transplant. She did. The wait began in Iowa until November. She was offered two kidneys. The first kidney offered she was the secondary recipient. The primary accepted the kidney. Several weeks later she was offered another kidney. Unfortunately, it was evaluated and rejected due to the donor having blood disease.

Mom and Dad decided to return to South Texas due to winter approaching. (An Iowa Winter in an RV is not fun). Mom was placed on the inactive list due to being more than six hours from the hospital. She was placed on a Low Potassium Diet and her GFR rose to 20+ over the next 12 months, making her ineligible for a transplant.

In late spring 2023, Mom's GFR started to decrease again to 15. Her kidneys were failing and needed a transplant ASAP. Our parents are traveling to Des Moines where tests, CT scans and a review team will decide on eligibility. Once a return to the transplant list, our parents will decide on whether to await the transplant in Iowa, thus having two rental payments or return to Texas and secure a private jet when a kidney is made available.

The cost for a furnished short-term rental in Iowa averages $3,500/month. A cost of medical jet from San Antonio will cost between $20,000 - $32,000.

Any assistance is appreciated to offset their expenses during this time.