Support Linda Lam After Hurricane Milton Tragedy

Cause of death: My dad lived alone with my grandma in St. Petersburg, but during Hurricane Milton, my grandma chose to evacuate to Georgia, but my dad remained at home. On Thursday, October 10th, after the hurricane was over, my dad was found on the streets by a police officer patrolling the area and was rushed to the hospital afterward. He suffered from a severe head injury that caused heavy bleeding in his brain and was put on life support. But after three days, the doctors declared him brain dead, but the rest of his body was still functioning (his heart still beat, and his temperature was normal). There was a lady who introduced herself as a member of “Life Link” at the hospital. She told us that when my dad renewed his driver's license, he agreed to be an organ donor if anything were to happen to him. Through this process, my dad was able to give away both of his lungs, his liver, and his kidneys to other people who needed them after he passed away.

Description of my dad: He’s the type of guy many would call a “gentle giant.” He may seem tough and cold on the outside, but in reality, he would be the first person to show up for you if you called him. He’s a generous guy who would give people things even if he didn’t have enough for himself. Most of all, he loved his daughter. He always called to check up on her when he had time, asked her how she was doing, invited her to eat together, and, without fail, always ended his phone calls with an “I love you” to her. He's also the type of dad who sides with his daughter when she's getting lectured by her mom and the parent who secretly sneaks toys his kid wants back into the shopping cart that the other parent says to "put back." He wasn’t a perfect dad, but he really tried, and in his daughter's heart, he will always be her loving dad, no matter what.

Fundraiser: I am a dialysis patient in the state of Maryland. Both of my kidneys failed on October 10, 2023, and I stayed at GBMC Hospital for 11 days. I started dialysis on October 16, 2023, at Davita White Square, Middle River, Maryland, until October 16, 2024.

On October 16, 2024, Wednesday, after my dialysis, I got a call from my family from Florida saying that my mom's friend’s son, named Kiet Lam, a 49-year-old, just passed away on October 13, 2024, caused by Hurricane Milton. Kiet’s family agreed to donate his kidney to me. I was both happy and wondered if I could actually qualify for it because Maryland and Florida are a distance away and if his blood type would match mine?

I immediately contacted Miss Allison, my Nurse Coordinator at the University of Maryland Transplant Center, about this great news. Miss Allison worked with the hospital down in Florida, where Kiet’s body was being kept. Luckily, we both matched with blood types, and my nurse told me to get ready to go to the University of Maryland Transplant Center on October 16, 2024, Wednesday, to be transplanted. We arrived at approximately 7:55 pm.

A group of surgeons at the University of Maryland Transplant Center performed my surgery the next morning, October 17, 2024, Thursday, and it went successfully. I was discharged from the hospital on October 21, 2024, Monday, and now I am recovering at home with many future returns to doctor appointments until I can fully recover and get back to work.

Living with dialysis is a tough lifestyle, and there are no promises when I can get a kidney from a donor. My nurse coordinator said it would take five-plus years if I am lucky. I am a divorced man living with two children. Our life became difficult since my kidneys failed. Kiet’s donated kidney to me is a chance to live normally again. I am lucky to have his kidney for only one year and be out of dialysis.

This is why I am doing this fundraising to pay for his funeral costs and other needs of his family who suffered from Hurricane Milton.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity to chip in what you can to reach the goal of ($10k) ten thousand dollars. All of your donations will go straight to Linda Lam, Kiet's daughter. She is the beneficiary to be receiving the funds to help her family out at this most difficult time. I am Son Luong, just a fundraiser, and have nothing to do with the money.

God bless and thank you all ❤️