A Christmas Miracle for NFT Patients

This week, staff and friends of NFT truly witnessed the holiday spirit in the lives of our patients. A simple act of generosity and kindness can make a world of difference to a family in need.

A Denver-area family decided not to exchange Christmas gifts this year, and will instead use the money to help other transplant patients facing a grim Christmas. The donors, who wish to remain anonymous, understand how a medical crisis can change the meaning of Christmas. Just five years ago, their family member received a small bowel transplant. At the time, medical bills were increasing so much that Christmas gifts for their three children were not an option.

Not wanting another family to feel the same way they felt that Christmas, the family called NFT to discuss their plan to make Christmas a little brighter for a couple NFT patients.

Three-year-old Ridge McCall, of Nebraska, and his family have so much to celebrate this Christmas season. In October, he received a lifesaving transplant. The heart transplant, which cost approximately $600,000, has led to soaring medical expenses for the McCall family. Christmas was looking bleak for this family.

When Ridge's mother got the call that someone was providing such a generous gift for Christmas, she broke down in tears saying this surprise could not have come at a better time.

Similarly, NFT Patient Wess Holston, of Missouri, will have an exciting Christmas celebration thanks to these compassionate donors. Wess is awaiting a pancreas transplant, which is his only hope for survival after suffering from uncontrollable diabetes since he was 16 years old. He and his wife have six children, and this gift will make their holidays much brighter.

Wess' wife, Katrina, said, "May God bless the Denver family...There are no words to describe how much this means to us, and we thank this family and NFT for their help."

The National Foundation for Transplants staff and friends truly feel as though we have witnessed a Christmas miracle! To learn more about Ridge McCall, Wess Holston or any NFT patient, visit our Web site and click on "Patients We Help."