In April 2018, Pete was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease which led to him being placed on dialysis. A month later, after many tests to find out what caused the kidney disease, Pete was told he had a rare disease, called Amyloidosis. The buildup of Amyloid, an abnormal protein produced in the bone marrow, can be deposited in any tissue or organ and over time cause the organs to malfunction, and essentially fail, in Pete’s case it was his kidneys. Treatment can put you into remission, but there is no cure. Since Pete’s diagnosis, he has continued to undergo several rounds of chemotherapy injections to stop the progression of the disease. In August 2024, Pete was advised by the Kidney Transplant Team, they reviewed his medical records & discussed his case. It was determined that he was not currently eligible for a Kidney transplant at the University of Utah. Their decision was based on his currently being on chemotherapy. They would reevaluate his case when he is off chemotherapy, in remission, and have oncology, cardiology, and pulmonary clearance. In June 2024, Pete met with a new doctor at the Huntsman Cancer Institute who said the kidney transplant team wants reassurance, that if he gets a new kidney the Amyloidosis won’t damage the new kidney placing him in the same situation he is in now. Even though his Amyloidosis levels are now low, there are still traces of the disease in his blood which poses a risk for the new kidney. His doctor suggested a Stem Cell transplant will give the kidney team the reassurance they need to perform the actual kidney transplant Pete will need to survive and get off dialysis. It was confirmed for him to come to the Huntsman Cancer Institute on August 10, 2024, for one week. The first step will be to have a port catheter placed in his body followed by multiple rounds of injections meant to stimulate rapid stem cell production. Then he will have a procedure similar to dialysis to filter out and store all his new healthy stem cells. They will give him (2) weeks to heal from the port being placed in his body. Around August 28th or so, Pete will undergo Melphalan Chemotherapy before having his stored stem cells reintroduced into his system. The hope is to eradicate all the abnormal cells and replace them with healthy ones. Since the Melphalan chemo is so harsh on the body, Pete will be admitted to the Huntsman Cancer Institute for (2) weeks under monitoring. At this time, his doctor advised him he will be really sick from the chemo as well as lose his hair. After (2) weeks under monitoring, he will be moved to an inpatient housing facility. He then can go home after (4) weeks of being in Salt Lake City, Utah, but the actual recovery from the Stem Cell transplant will be 2-3 months. All this will be on top of his regular dialysis treatments which Pete does 3 times a week. There are many steps to this treatment but basically, his stay in the hospital will be lengthy, and his recovery will be even longer. This will be emotionally and physically exhausting, and financially draining. When asked if Pete is serious about the steps, he must take to proceed in getting a kidney transplant, his response was “Of course I am, I have a little boy that I worry about…” Pete usually likes to extend help, rather than ask for it, but in these difficult times, he must reach out for support. If there is anything you can do to help, your generosity will not go unnoticed. Even a simple share can have a great impact. Any donations will go towards his family's housing, out-of-town housing, travel expenses, and numerous medical bills. Thank you for taking the time to read about his journey and please share.
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