Pave Chris Nutter's Road to Mayo

Chris Nutter, husband to Michelle Nutter, and father of three beautiful children, Krystie, Mackenzy and Andreu, was working as a nurse in 1991, when he was stuck with a needle and contracted Hepatitis C. 

Over the course of the next 10 years ten years his liver deteriorated to the point of needing a liver transplant.  After being listed on the transplant list for 2 years in Lahey, Boston, he was eventually told there was nothing that could be done for him there and he was sent home.  After much more research and  refusing to give up, he was referred to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. 

His initial visit there lasted about a week and consisted of much testing.  He was sent home to await the test results.  He was then instructed to return to Jacksonville, Florida so that he could be placed on the transplant list there.  He needed to remain within a 4-hour distance from the hospital in order to be listed.

With the help of wonderful family and friends, Chris and his wife Michelle were able to make this work despite having 3 small children at home.  They needed to secure housing in Florida and childcare back in New York.   There were ups and downs as Chris nearly died.  He entered into a coma at one point and wasn't expected to even live through the night.  They had a liver for him, but Chris had developed an infection and they were unable to do the surgery.  The Doctor's began an aggressive treatment of antibiotics and 3 days later there was another organ available.

This surgery was a success!   We cannot thank our family and friends or the medical professionals at the Mayo Clinic enough because without this Chris would not have had this time with his family.  He would not have seen his children graduate from high school, he would not have watched his daughter Mackenzy swim throughout College, or his son become an Eagle Scout or walked his oldest daughter, Krystie, down the aisle.  

But these past 14 years, have not been without complications.  Chris has had several surgeries and additional illnesses, one of which is a blood clot in the main vein in the liver,  an aneurysm on his spleen, and other health issues taking toll on Chris's health, forcing Chris to retire.  This, of course, put a monetary burden on the family.

Sadly, these issues, have now caused Chris's new liver to fail. We were referred recently to Strong Memorial Hospital and have undergone testing to be listed for another liver.  Chris has been told that he not only needs a new liver but a vessel and small bowel transplant as well, which they do not do here in the Northeast.   So Chris is being referred back to the Mayo Clinic in Florida.  

Chris is terrified, more than anything, that he will not get to walk his youngest daughter down the aisle this coming August, hold his first grandchildren, or grow old with his wife.  

We are asking that you do whatever you can to help Chris, as he will need to be close to the hospital in Jacksonville, Florida to remain on the transplant list and the costs of travel, transportation, lodging and food are going to quickly add up.  This time around will likely prove to be must more costly and lengthy as he is being sent directly to Florida, but he may or may not get all three needed transplants at once.  We can only hope that Michelle will be able to afford to visit as well, should the finances and time of from work allow.

Thank you in advance for anything that you can do, even the smallest of amounts are appreciated, truly, from the bottom of our hearts.