PBC Family Needs Help Through Liver Transplant

Hi, my name is Chris, and I'm fundraising for my niece Jody Jackson (49 years old). She is a loving wife and mother of two wonderful children who have put their own lives on hold for the last 7 years so that they can care for her while she fights to survive. Unfortunately, she suffers from a rare liver disease called Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC).
"PBC is a slowly progressive, bile duct disease, which results from chronic inflammation of the small intrahepatic bile ducts, the system of small tubes in the liver that helps drain bile. Those diagnosed in early stages and who respond to medication can have a normal life expectancy." -- https://pbc-society.ca/

Unfortunately, Jody is among the 40% of patients that don't respond to medication. She has had every symptom and complication imaginable, including weeks in the ICU followed by months in hospital and being told at 45 years old, that she has only two years to live. As a result, she now requires a liver transplant. Luckily, her son Nate (26 years old) is a match and will be donating a portion of his liver to his mother. Go Nate Go!!

Unfortunately, with this comes many medical expenses, gas to travel to Toronto, ON hospital, hotel accommodations for her husband George (who regularly sleeps in his car while his wife spends weeks in ICU) and family members while Jody and Nate are both in hospital, and loss of income. Both mother and son have to stay 10 minutes away from the Toronto Hospital to get daily and weekly medicine and check-ups, Nate for 5-6 weeks and Jody for 5-6 months. There is no Ronald McDonald house for living liver donors or for the recipients. 

How sad is that?

Typically, daughter Kailey (30 years old) manages fundraisers for her mother, including regularly collecting empty bottles for return and arranging 50/50 draws. But there is only so much one loving daughter can do. 

So let's help the Jacksons out as much as we can. The date for the transplant is June 1st, as long as Jody stays strong and healthy enough to survive the surgery.

Since taking over her case, the Autoimmune Liver Disease Team at Toronto Hospital have made a real difference in Jody's health, bringing her to this point and, hopefully, giving her a better quality of life.

Family of Woman with Rare Liver Disease Hunts for Donor. - Windsor Star