Andy's Army
Donation protected
Nearly 7 years ago, Andy and Beth began what would be known as the Amazing Andy Spleen Saga (AASS – as labeled by them because it was appropriate and humor was necessary).
Well, they are about to embark on the next great and possibly most challenging chapter. They have finally received more information about Andy's health and things are starting to get very real, and very serious. We want to update everyone, and to let you know what you might be seeing from this page in the future.
For those of you who may not have been connected with Beth and Andy when all of this started, here are some of Beth's lighthearted recaps:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10113889900904093&id=5235487
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10114394028403543&id=5235487
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10114427662310923&id=5235487
For the last few years Andy was dealing with a very enlarged spleen and low blood counts due to some health complications. This prompted his doctors in Tallahassee to suggest a trip to Shands Hospital in Gainesville to investigate further. That visit ended up being like an episode of House. He received dialysis, an attempted heart valve replacement, and an actual heart valve replacement. Andy and Beth were able to have a brief respite after his recovery from that surgery; however that changed quickly because Andy's liver stopped functioning well. The doctor's stated his liver was not able to recover. So many blood transfusions caused Andy to develop antibodies that cause his body to reject most treatment options . The doctors at Shands said treatments were too risky, so Beth and Andy went sought out the specialists at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. The specialists in Jacksonville decided that Andy needed a new liver, and a new heart.
So now for the bigger news, after what seems like a million tests and multiple trips to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, there is a plan. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota has agreed to take Andy for a pre-transplant evaluation. Andy and Beth were hoping to be able to keep the procedure in Florida, but the Minnesota team has the most experience with heart-liver transplants that also include high antibody issues. There haven’t been that many double transplants of this type, or that many high antibody transplants in general. So, the combination of both issues makes Minnesota the right place to go.
The first step will be going up there for the evaluation. Since the procedure is for two organs, they’ll have to go through all the requirements for two teams, which will take about two weeks in November. They’re still trying to figure out the safest logistics for all of this. Planning this rare double organ high PRA transplant journey across the country during the pandemic has been difficult to say the least.
The reason we want to get the message out there now, is that this is going to be a very long journey. Andy and Beth won’t be able to do it alone. They will be going for the evaluation and then ideally Andy will be placed on the transplant list. It’s not a definite thing and that fact has been very difficult to manage emotionally for them. They are moving forward with this plan while hoping that everything will happen the way it needs to. Once he is on the transplant list, the wait begins.
This particular combination of organs needed makes how the transplant specialists measure Andy's priority need very complicated. We should get more information once he gets to the listing point.
All of this is unbelievably expensive. Even with good insurance. This is one of the main reasons for setting up this GoFundMe page for them. All the money from this campaign will go toward helping them with the expenses of this incredibly difficult procedure including copays, travel costs, and lost income from having to take time off for these procedures. It will hopefully lead to the best possible outcome for Andy, which means new and healthy heart and liver.
If you’ve made it through this long update, thank you for sticking with Andy and Beth and their kiddos. Please help in whatever way you can. Andy and Beth are two of the most caring, and wonderful people on this planet. They are college sweethearts, have been together for 20 years, and have two of the coolest little girls. They deserve this chance to fight for Andy's health.
Well, they are about to embark on the next great and possibly most challenging chapter. They have finally received more information about Andy's health and things are starting to get very real, and very serious. We want to update everyone, and to let you know what you might be seeing from this page in the future.
For those of you who may not have been connected with Beth and Andy when all of this started, here are some of Beth's lighthearted recaps:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10113889900904093&id=5235487
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10114394028403543&id=5235487
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10114427662310923&id=5235487
For the last few years Andy was dealing with a very enlarged spleen and low blood counts due to some health complications. This prompted his doctors in Tallahassee to suggest a trip to Shands Hospital in Gainesville to investigate further. That visit ended up being like an episode of House. He received dialysis, an attempted heart valve replacement, and an actual heart valve replacement. Andy and Beth were able to have a brief respite after his recovery from that surgery; however that changed quickly because Andy's liver stopped functioning well. The doctor's stated his liver was not able to recover. So many blood transfusions caused Andy to develop antibodies that cause his body to reject most treatment options . The doctors at Shands said treatments were too risky, so Beth and Andy went sought out the specialists at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. The specialists in Jacksonville decided that Andy needed a new liver, and a new heart.
So now for the bigger news, after what seems like a million tests and multiple trips to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, there is a plan. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota has agreed to take Andy for a pre-transplant evaluation. Andy and Beth were hoping to be able to keep the procedure in Florida, but the Minnesota team has the most experience with heart-liver transplants that also include high antibody issues. There haven’t been that many double transplants of this type, or that many high antibody transplants in general. So, the combination of both issues makes Minnesota the right place to go.
The first step will be going up there for the evaluation. Since the procedure is for two organs, they’ll have to go through all the requirements for two teams, which will take about two weeks in November. They’re still trying to figure out the safest logistics for all of this. Planning this rare double organ high PRA transplant journey across the country during the pandemic has been difficult to say the least.
The reason we want to get the message out there now, is that this is going to be a very long journey. Andy and Beth won’t be able to do it alone. They will be going for the evaluation and then ideally Andy will be placed on the transplant list. It’s not a definite thing and that fact has been very difficult to manage emotionally for them. They are moving forward with this plan while hoping that everything will happen the way it needs to. Once he is on the transplant list, the wait begins.
This particular combination of organs needed makes how the transplant specialists measure Andy's priority need very complicated. We should get more information once he gets to the listing point.
All of this is unbelievably expensive. Even with good insurance. This is one of the main reasons for setting up this GoFundMe page for them. All the money from this campaign will go toward helping them with the expenses of this incredibly difficult procedure including copays, travel costs, and lost income from having to take time off for these procedures. It will hopefully lead to the best possible outcome for Andy, which means new and healthy heart and liver.
If you’ve made it through this long update, thank you for sticking with Andy and Beth and their kiddos. Please help in whatever way you can. Andy and Beth are two of the most caring, and wonderful people on this planet. They are college sweethearts, have been together for 20 years, and have two of the coolest little girls. They deserve this chance to fight for Andy's health.
Organizer and beneficiary
DC SC
Organizer
Edison, NJ
Elizabeth Roach
Beneficiary