Waiting for a transplant at Christmas

As part of the annual Press Christmas for All campaign, we share with readers the stories of some of the people applying for help. Here’s one of them.

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Waiting for a transplant and struggling to pay medical bills, this family is in danger of losing everything.

Just a few years ago, the family of three lived in transitional housing. They were getting back on their feet when the mom was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease. Now medical expenses threaten to destroy the progress the family has worked so hard to make.

“It’s scary,” the mom told Press Christmas for All. “I don’t want to lose the roof over our head because I’m trying not to die.”

She undergoes dialysis while she waits for a kidney transplant. She also has diabetes, and the insulin she needs to survive costs hundreds of dollars a month.

Though the family is short on money, the mom said they’re rich in love. She’s grateful for her husband and daughter.

“I feel lucky that I have a family that works together as a team,” she said. “Some people in my position don’t have the family support that I have. It’s really difficult to maneuver through that darkness. It would be easy to throw in the towel and say it’s too much.”

In the midst of these challenges, it’ll take a Christmas miracle for this family to have a few small gifts to exchange or a meal to share.

This is the 33rd year Press Christmas for All has worked to brighten the lives of Kootenai County residents in need during the holiday season.

Each year, Press readers donate generously to the program. The money collected is distributed in the form of gift cards to those who might not otherwise be able to put a holiday meal on the table or purchase a small gift for a child.

The gift recipients are our neighbors who are struggling, including the elderly, disabled and mentally ill. Many who seek assistance from Christmas for All are working, but living near or below the poverty level. They are barely making ends meet and they do not qualify for other holiday charity programs.

Some are responsible for children, others are alone throughout the holiday season. Despair is a common factor. But through Christmas for All, they feel the compassion of a caring community during what can be a very difficult time of year for them.

Press Christmas for All is managed by The Hagadone Corp., with assistance from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. It is a legally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, run entirely by volunteers.

Every penny raised is distributed to needy Kootenai County residents. All overhead costs are covered by The Hagadone Corp. and the volunteers at Kootenai County Fire and Rescue.

Donations can be made by dropping off or mailing a check to: Press Christmas for All, 215 N. Second St., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.

To donate online, visit cdapress.com. Click on the menu on the left side of the page to find Christmas for All 2018.

To make a donation by phone using your credit card, call 208-664-8176.

RECENT DONORS:

Samuel and Pamela Whitaker; Jack and Cherie Shinn; Jacqueline and Lanny Rickard; Carla Hauer; Harry and Ione Perry; Israel and Donna Melendez; Kenneth and Robin Blake; Steve and Diane Turner, In Memory of our Parents, Art and Betty Turner and Harry Perry; Joanne Hellawell; Margaret Lyon; Kay Thompson; Barbara Ketchum; Jim and Jerre Coleman; Cecil and Patty Booth; Joseph and Susan Heath; Wesley and Theresa Woods; Janet and Richard Erickson; Robert and Sally Wallace.

OVER $500 CLUB:

Gary and Joan Dunning, In Honor of Wm. R. Dunning U.S. Army disabled and all other veterans.