***UPDATE*** Chad Stevens has a challenge ahead of him. He has a hereditary disease called Polycystic Kidney Disease. PKD is an inherited disorder in which clusters of cysts develop primarily within your kidneys, causing your kidneys to enlarge and lose function over time. The cysts vary in size, and they can grow very large. Having many cysts or large cysts can damage your kidneys. PKD is a disease that slowly progresses over many years leading to kidney failure. There is no cure for PKD, and over time, the only treatments are either a kidney transplant or dialysis. Chad's kidney function has been slowly deteriorating for years and now it's at 14%, which means he needs a new kidney or will have to go on dialysis. He just finished all of his testing at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and besides his deteriorated kidney function, his other test results came back great and the surgeons have approved Chad for a new kidney. Chad is very fortunate to live just 2 miles from this world-class hospital. Mayo Clinic is consistently ranked as one of the top transplant centers in the United States and has been recognized for excellence in multiple specialties including nephrology. Mayo Clinic's transplant program has achieved excellent outcomes, with five-year survival rates for kidney transplant recipients exceeding 92%. Living donor kidneys have a better chance of being accepted by the recipient's immune system. The kidney lasts longer: Living donor transplants last 15 to 20 years on average, compared to 10 to 15 years on average for deceased donor transplants. Unfortunately, after coming to Phoenix and going through testing, Chad's son Andrew did not qualify to donate a kidney. Chad's son Ryan will be going through testing as another potential donor. This means more travel and testing will have to be done to see if he qualifies to give a kidney. This is a long process that takes a lot of time and money. There are many expenses besides the cost of the surgery. Ryan will be making trips to Phoenix from Minneapolis over the next few months for testing. Once qualified he will have to travel to Phoenix again for the actual transplant. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Ryan will have a 6-12 week recovery time which means he cannot work, drive, or do any lifting. Chad will be out of work for approximately 6 weeks and be on anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life. Insurance will cover a portion of the medical expenses, but it does not help with lost wages and travel expenses that will occur over the next 4-6 months. Mayo Clinic also requires Ryan and Chad to have full-time caregivers during their recovery time, which is also another financial burden they will carry. We have set up this campaign in hopes of helping Chad be able to take advantage of this chance at a healthier and happier life. It will take the pressure off of Ryan, and give him the ability to not have to worry about financial obligations and focus on this life-changing gift he is preparing to give his dad. The timeline in which the process will take place creates the urgency of this campaign. Your contribution will help the Stevens family ensure that Ryan can support his life away from home until he can return to work. This will also help Chad as he is focusing on recovering after the surgery. We are grateful for any contribution that will help our family through this challenging time. My name is Kathy Langager, Chad’s mother. I have always told Chad that when it came time for him to get a kidney transplant, I would be the one to donate. Unfortunately, the doctors told us that I am now not able to donate due to my age. I was so disappointed knowing I could not donate, so now I am trying to help my son and grandson by creating this fundraiser. Feel free to contact me with any questions about this fundraiser or the progress of Chad’s surgery. From the Stevens family to yours, much love for considering our time of need.
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