Hi, my name is Paul Leintz. I have lived my life battling Cystic Fibrosis, and now I am fighting for my life with Stage 5 Kidney Disease; resulting in the need for a kidney transplant. According to the website kidney.org (2016) “There are currently 121,678 people waiting for lifesaving organ transplants in the U.S. Of these, 100,791 await kidney transplants.” That number has now risen by one, me. Making it 100, 792.
I was fortunate and blessed to receive a double lung transplant in 2002. This blessing also brought with it new health challenges. After 14+ years of taking antirejection medications, to keep my body from rejecting my lungs, they are also the same medications that are destroying my kidneys.
As of right now, I am in the beginning stages of my journey. On Thursday, September 29, 2016 I had my first dialysis treatment. I will have a peritoneal catheter placed in my abdomen to continue dialysis in my home. I am determined to remain positive, stay active, and trust that God is watching over me!!
In the upcoming weeks and months (hopefully not years), my kidney disease will cause me to miss many hours of work due to doctor appointments; hospitalizations; traveling to the U of M to meet with the transplant team; and the transplant itself. Along with the appointments, hospitalizations, traveling, and various unexpected life happenings associated with a kidney transplant, come bills. I am hoping that by starting a “gofundme” page, it will help alleviate the mounting expenses that my wife and I will endure.
After having been through the transplant process once already, I can tell you that it is a difficult journey. But I am very fortunate to have my loving wife Leslie, a great family, and wonderful friends supporting me. However, the inevitable financial obligations will be a challenge. Therefore, I hope that you might find it in your heart to walk with me on my journey, and lessen the financial strain in order to smoothen the path to my transplant.
The wait could be a long one! Therefore, I am praying and hoping someone will step forward and be a living kidney donor.
It took me 45 years to find Leslie, and she is love of my life. We have only been married since February 27, 2016. I pray that I will be blessed to have the next 45 years to live happily ever after!
My wife Leslie and I thank you, in advance, for your kindness and support as we fight and win this battle for the gift of life.
Please go to my GoFundMe page, at
https://www.gofundme.com/pauleeneedsakidney , and consider making a donation.
My wife, Leslie and me, thank you in advance.
Kidney.org (2016) reports that on average:
*Over 3,000 new patients are added to the kidney waiting list each month.
*13 people die each day while waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant.
*Every 14 minutes someone is added to the kidney transplant list.
*In 2014, 4,761 patients died while waiting for a kidney transplant.
Another, 3,668 people became too sick to receive a kidney transplant.
Citations
https://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/factsheets/Organ-Donation-and-Transplantation-Stats. Accessed (
https://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/factsheets/Organ-Donation-and-Transplantation-Stats. Accessed) (
https://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/factsheets/Organ-Donation-and-Transplantation-Stats. Accessed (
https://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/factsheets/Organ-Donation-and-Transplantation-Stats. Accessed)) 29 Sept.
http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/Facts and statistics provided by the United States Renal Data System, UNOS, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) Annual Report.
