Our Family Needs a Kidney - Tim Hyland

LIVE DONOR INFORMATION IS AFTER OUR STORY

Hi Everyone,

We started this GoFund Campaign to cover unexpected, excess bills and co-pays not covered by our insurance and help provide travel, hotel stay, and medical misc. for living donors who travel to South Florida, where we live. The average cost for dialysis and a kidney transplant in total is $400-$500K! Tim's extensive recovery after the transplant will be 2-3 months. He will not be able to work full-time or drive so Melissa will be his primary caretaker.

This has been an unbelievable story and journey for myself, my wife, Melissa and our daughter, Grace. In August 2022 we all got COVID, and I was very sick. By October, I still did not feel right. My energy was down, I was not sleeping well, and my appetite declined. I went to a Cardiologist to address these issues plus high blood pressure. After exams and blood work, he found my kidney function ratios were not good. I needed to see a Nephrologist (kidney specialist) immediately.

My Kidney Doctor is wonderful, and his extensive team began this life-changing kidney journey with us. The COVID virus had completely infected both kidneys. We did 3-months of antibiotics and steroids with the hope of getting some kidney function response. It did not work. In March 2023, my doctors informed us the infections had increased and I was in Stage 5 Kidney Failure and needed to begin dialysis treatment. I would be added to a transplant list at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, FL. Our world would forever change that day!

Within two weeks, I had a surgical procedure to place a port into my peritoneal cavity and met with a wonderful team of nurses at my new home away from home--the dialysis clinic. Melissa and I spent 3-4 full days a week, for over a month learning manual dialysis, treatments, and the machine I would be using at home. The supplies and time required daily was overwhelming.

During one of my last training sessions in late March, my declining kidney function caused my vitals to fall to dangerously low levels. I was rushed to the ER and spent over a week in the hospital stabilizing my condition.

We received the home dialysis machine and supplies. It took time to adjust to the procedures and routine. Every night, I hook up to the machine for 9 hours and have 10,000 mL of solution going through my body, pulling out toxins in my bloodstream since my kidneys have minimal ability to serve their filtering function. It has been involved, intense, and exhausting, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to get better.

Your body function changes too. Because a major organ is not working properly, it puts more strain on other vital organs to compensate. I deal with high blood pressure and other issues so I take an extensive amount of medication. Every day, I track blood pressures, weight, diet, fluid intake and retention, body temperature, and heart rate patterns. It has becomes exhausting and scary at times.

I began the pre-transplant “work up” required by Cleveland Clinic in the Spring. It is very extensive. You meet with a wide range of specialists, undergo testing and blood work, and eventually receive a medical committee approval—which just happened for me in mid-August. It took over 4 months to complete.

Now, we have begun our search for a live donor. While I am on the National Kidney Registry, it is a 3-5 year waiting list for my blood type, O+. I cannot wait that long. A live donor can be any sex, blood type and over the age of 18. A living donor organ has a higher success rate and generally functions immediately after transplant. If you are a good candidate, but have a different blood type than me, you can be matched with someone else in need of a kidney. In return, I go to the top of the waiting list and receive a living donor kidney from another individual. This is part of Cleveland Clinic’s Paired Exchange Program.

Fortunately, kidneys are the “organ with a spare” so everyone has 2 kidneys and the ability to resume a perfectly normal life with one healthy kidney should they choose to be a donor to a transplant patient in need.

This diagnosis has changed our family’s life forever. We are trying to stay positive with the support and prayers from wonderful family and friends. We appreciate those who truly care about me. This has caused us to re-think the priorities in our lives. It’s a cliché, but good health and wellness are critical for a quality of life. God bless the medical professionals who selflessly take care of us too!

If you are interested in the selfless act of being a live kidney donor, we have included information below. Whether you are considering becoming a donor, can make a donation, or keep us in your prayers, our family cannot thank you enough for your amazing support! It truly touches our heart.

Thank You! Tim, Melissa & Grace

Live Donor Information & Amazing Stories About Live Donor Chains!

A donor candidate will undergo a complete evaluation to determine if he or she can safely donate a kidney. The recipient’s insurance company will pay for these costs. All costs associated with the donor’s operation and recovery will also be billed to the recipient’s insurance company. Travel expenses are not covered by insurance, but we help pay for these costs. Donating an organ is covered by the Federal Medical Leave Act. However, the donor candidate should determine the impact donation will have on his or her situation before making a final commitment.

The following will be required leading up to being a suitable live Kidney Donor:

You can do the initial medical work up at your local hospital and provide results to the Cleveland Clinic.

• Phone conversation with The Cleveland Clinic Transplant Center Team

• Physical

• Blood Work

• Stress Test

• CT Scan

• Consultations with Cleveland Clinic medical specialists (differs for each per person).

There are medical considerations that would exclude you from being a candidate:

• Hypertension—Chronic High Blood Pressure

• Heart Issues

• Diabetes

• Auto Immune Disease

If you are approved to be a kidney donor and choose to proceed with the donation:

• The most advanced surgical laparoscopic technique will be preformed at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, FL.

• This surgery has reduced the hospital stay to one or two days, resulting in less pain and scarring, and has full recovery.

• Once a donor has recovered, he or she will be required to have a follow-up appointment at six months, one year, and two years.

• The donor should not experience a difference in energy level, ability to work, life expectancy, susceptibility to illness, sexual function, or feeling of health.

The Paired Exchange Program:

If you are a good candidate, but have a different blood type than Tim, you will be matched with someone who also needs a kidney transplant. Cleveland Clinic arranges the surgeries simultaneously. In many cases, these exchange programs can create a “kidney transplant chain”. There are amazing stories of kidney transplant chains! Please click on the following links to see how you can help save lives!

Cleveland Clinic Kidney Transplant Chain Success Story

The TODAY SHOW Video Kidney Chain is Saving Lives

If you want to begin the process, please contact The Cleveland Clinic Transplant Center at [phone redacted]. Please ask for Christina or Martine. They prefer speaking to potential donors over the phone to discuss the requirements and process. Make sure to mention my name, Timothy Hyland so they can add you to my profile as a potential living donor. Thank you so much!

Much of this information has been provided by the Cleveland Clinic website. For full Living Donor information and FAQs, visit

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/transplant/programs/kidney/living-kidney-donation#overview-tab