Methodist Institute Reaches Transplant Milestone

Congratulations to the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute for reaching a milestone in transplantation! The Methodist Transplant Institute, along with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, performed its 1,000th liver transplant Monday, September 28. Only 33 liver transplant programs in the U.S. have reached this milestone, out of a total of 126 liver programs in the country.

We greatly appreciate the work of the Methodist Transplant Institute and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center as they serve those awaiting lifesaving transplants in the Mid-South. With nearly 104,000 people waiting for transplants in the U.S., these surgeons are offering hope to so many people in need of a second chance at life.

To read more about this exciting accomplishment, read this article from the Memphis Business Journal.

Terri McCrae and Her Fight Against Diabetes

Terri has been battling diabetes since she was just 11 years old. She struggled with the illness for years and even went into a coma for a time when she was in high school. By the time Terri was in her late 20s, her kidney function had declined to the point where she needed dialysis. Once she began dialysis, her diabetes became uncontrollable. After she was found unresponsive in her home, Terri was admitted to a nursing home because she required constant care and observation.

In 1995, she finally received a kidney and pancreas transplant. After a year of rehabilitation, she was able to move into an apartment and regain her independence. Terri was grateful for her new lease on life and graduated from nursing school in 2000. For the next eight years, she worked as a nurse and loved her job very much. However, her diabetes once again became hard to control. She is now unable to work and has been hospitalized four times since January. Doctors say a second pancreas transplant is her only hope.

Despite her struggles, Terri has high hopes for the future, but she needs your help! A pancreas transplant costs approximately $275,000. Sadly, that's only the beginning of the soaring medical expenses. To learn more about Terri or to make a donation to NFT in her honor, please visit Terri McCrae's Web bio.

Frequently Asked Questions about NFT

How does NFT work?
NFT helps establish fundraising campaigns in patient communities. Our trained fundraising consultants work with each campaign to develop personalized fundraising goals and tailored methods to raise funds. NFT also writes personalized appeal letters and works with the media to raise awareness in the community about the patient's needs.

Funds raised are placed in a specified NFT state organ/tissue fund, and NFT tracks donations made in honor of specific patients. NFT then uses the funds to pay for transplant-related expenses. NFT's fundraising campaigns have generated nearly $56 million to assist patients during their transplant journey, and NFT assists more than 1,000 patients.

What expenses will NFT cover?
NFT can help with transplant costs; hospital bills and deposits; co-pays; doctors' appointments; medications; caregiver expenses; insurance premiums, temporary mortgage assistance following the transplant; travel, food and lodging expenses; and more.

My insurance company will cover the transplant. Do I need fundraising assistance?
The transplant itself may be covered; however, the high costs of daily post-transplant medications and unforeseen complications often become very overwhelming for patients. Some insurance policies won't cover bone marrow donor searches -- which can be very expensive -- and others have an inadequate lifetime maximum for coverage that will quickly be exhausted. Many patients must also travel far distances to their transplant centers, which can result in significant travel and lodging expenses.

Transplant recipients require a lifetime of follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications, which can cost as much as $5,000 per month. Most patients require many prescriptions every day. Even with insurance, the co-pays for multiple medications will add up quickly. Some insurance policies won't cover anti-rejection prescriptions at all or will only cover them for a specified period of time.

I already had a transplant. Can NFT help me?
Absolutely! While the best time to fundraise is before transplant, NFT can help patients at any stage. It's easier to communicate the need, gather momentum and maintain enthusiasm among volunteers and donors if fundraising activities begin prior to the transplant. However, many campaigns continue to fundraise post-transplant, and others don't begin fundraising until after transplant.

Are You a Bone Marrow Donor?

As this CNN article explains, "For minorities, the wait for a bone marrow match can be long." While there are 7 million registered bone marrow donors on the Be The Match Registry, the percentage of minorities who have registered is very small. In fact, Hispanic donors account for only 9% of the millions registered.

While all transplant success rates increase when patients find donors with similar ethnic backgrounds, that component is even more vital to increase the success rate for bone marrow transplants.

For patients like Melissa Delgado, who is of Puerto Rican descent, the wait can be especially long. She has been trying unsuccessfully to find a bone marrow match for six years. It is crucial for minorities to join the bone marrow registry so more lives can be saved.

Astellas Ride of a Lifetime

Congratulations to the winners of the Astellas Ride of a Lifetime contest! The five winners were chosen after submitting essays about their transplantation experience. All five contest winners, who received lifesaving transplants, will travel to Pasadena, CA and ride aboard the Donate Life float in the 2010 Rose Parade!

To see the list of winners and read a little about them, click here.

Congratulations again to all of the winners, and thank you to Astellas for offering such a wonderful opportunity to transplant recipients!

Visit TransplantExperience.com to learn more about how Astellas helps transplant patients.

Use GoodSearch to Support NFT!

As you may already know, GoodSearch is a very easy search engine, like Google or Yahoo, that donates money to your designated charity each time you search. Now they have made it even easier to raise money for your favorite cause! Visit GoodSearch.com to register and select NFT to benefit from your online searches!

By downloading this GoodSearch toolbar, its search functions are easily accessible within your Web browser anytime you're online!

To download this toolbar to begin raising funds for NFT, click here.

September Patient of the Month: Chad Freckleton

NFT patient Chad Freckleton began experience health problems not long after he and his wife, Marcie, graduated from college. In July 2005, Chad was diagnosed with cryptogenic cirrhosis of the liver. Doctors don’t know what caused the disease. The same month Chad was diagnosed, he and his wife learned they were expecting their first child.

Chad’s health began to decline after his diagnosis as he dealt with many side effects. He underwent several endoscopies to help prevent esophageal bleeding, endured internal itching because of the bilirubin in his blood and no longer had enough energy to participate in his normal activities. Doctors said a liver transplant was his only hope for a second chance at life. Thankfully, Chad received his lifesaving transplant June 30, 2009 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Chad looks forward to recovering from his transplant and having the energy to enjoy time with his friends and family. He and his wife would like nothing more than to grow old together and watch their young daughter grow up.

Can you help Chad and his family with their soaring medical expenses? If you would like to make a donation to NFT in honor of Chad, click here.

August Transplant Birthdays

We're so excited for the NFT patients who received lifesaving transplants last month! We wish them the best in their recovery and healing.

• Calvin Anderson (kidney) at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
• Gail Breedlove (bone marrow) at University of California San Francisco
• Ralph Coleman (liver) at University of Virginia Health System
• Elvis Gregory (bone marrow) at University of Kansas Medical Center
• Nancy Grinstead (liver) at Duke University Medical Center
• Sandra Johnson (liver) at Duke University Medical Center
• Dominick Just (lung) at Temple University Hospital
• Clark Kimble (liver) at University of Utah Health Care
• Victor Kish (kidney) at Banner Good Samaritan Transplant Center
• Lishan Knowles (kidney) at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
• David Lamb (liver) at Integris Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute
• Angel Smith (lung) at Emory University Hospital
• Shawnice Williams (kidney) at Mayo Clinic in Florida

Hurricane Katrina Survivor Needs Kidney Transplant

Joyce Russ has lived a life of turmoil for the past four years. In 2005, Joyce, like many others, was uprooted due to Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. Joyce, a native of New Orleans, was forced to evacuate her home and found refuge in Lake Charles with her husband of 46 years.

Following Hurricane Katrina, Joyce and her husband, both retired teachers, were again forced to evacuate the Lake Charles area because of Hurricane Rita. After settling in Georgia, Joyce was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure, caused by high blood pressure and diabetes. Doctors say a kidney transplant is her only hope for a second chance at life.

A kidney transplant costs approximately $250,000. And that's only the beginning. Even with health coverage, Joyce faces significant medical expenses. But despite her struggles, Joyce has high hopes for the future. She recently returned to New Orleans with her husband and one of her daughters and is thankful to be back in her hometown. She looks forward to the lifesaving transplant that will allow her to once again participate in her favorite activities, like gardening, cooking and traveling.

To learn more about Joyce, read her bio on the NFT site. To make a donation to help with her soaring medical expenses, click here.

Memphis Church a Dedicated Donor

Everyone at the National Foundation for Transplants is so grateful to our dedicated supporters and donors throughout the Memphis area and across the country. We would like to give a special thank you to White Stone Missionary Baptist Church, whose congregation has been a devoted donor to NFT since 1996!

This generous group began supporting the mission of NFT to honor a church member who passed away after battling angiosclerosis, a condition in which the walls of blood vessels harden. Over the years, they have continued to support NFT, along with a handful of nonprofit organizations in the Memphis community.

Our kind donors are so greatly appreciated, and we want thank the members of White Stone Missionary Baptist Church for their steadfast support.