By Nancy Oben
noben@news-press.com
Cape Coral resident David Kendrick, 31, needs a lifesaving kidney transplant.
The Westminster Golf Club in Lehigh Acres is hosting a golf scramble June 11 to help him.
Kendrick, who has had a kidney condition since age 2, is one of 3,295 Florida residents awaiting a kidney transplant. He has been waiting seven years to have his second transplant.
"The doctors said my kidneys were equivalent to a 76-year-old lady," Kendrick said.
Even with health insurance, Kendrick faces great medical costs. The price for a kidney transplant is approximately $250,000 and after the operation he will need medication that costs more than $2,000 a month.
To receive treatment, Kendrick must travel 250 miles each way to Shands Hospital in Gainesville. His family will have to temporarily relocate in order for him to have the transplant, incurring additional expenses.
The Kendrick family's fundraising goal is $15,000 to $25,000 to help cover three years of medicine, travel and other costs.
"People want to help," Kendrick said. "But a lot of times they aren't financially able to help."
The Kendrick family belongs to Daniels Road Baptist Church.
"Church has been a huge support for us," said wife Christy Kendrick.
In addition to the golf scramble, the Kendrick family has hosted events locally at different restaurants. All events can be seen through their Facebook group, "Kidney for Kendrick."
The Kendrick family has turned to the National Transplant Foundation for help with fundraising. The foundation assigns each patient a fundraising consultant.
"(The Foundation) has key volunteers to oversee their efforts," said Mandy Stockton, director of public relations for the NFT. "We want David to focus on his health."
Fundraising is hard for Kendrick because he attends dialysis sessions three days a week, four hours at a time, in Cape Coral.
"Fundraising takes a lot of footwork," Kendrick said. "A lot of going around to businesses and getting turned down."
Dialysis affects all aspects of his life. Before his current job, he would often go to interviews and be told "you're the right guy for the job," he said, but once he mentioned he was on dialysis he would not be hired.
Dialysis also affects his family life.
"You never know how he is going to feel afterwards," Christy said. "It's hard when there is nothing to do to help him."
His daughter Courtney, 15, a student at Oasis Charter High School, has dealt with his condition her entire life. She was only a small child when Kendrick had his first transplant.
"She can say it doesn't bother her," Kendrick said. "But when you really look at her you can tell it does."
In his spare time Kendrick likes to play guitar and is studying to become a pastor.
The Kendrick family is still looking for sponsors, and teams of four for the golf scramble. The deadline to enter the golf tournament is June 7.
Check-in will be at 8 a.m. June 11 and tee time is at 8:30 a.m. The $65 entry fee per player includes lunch. Prizes will be awarded and there will also be a 50/50 raffle at the event.
"Even if you can't attend the golf tournament there are still ways to help," Stockton said.
Donations for the Kendrick family are being accepted through the National Transplant Foundation and can be made online at transplant.org/donate/davidkendrick.
You can also donate by sending contributions to the NFT Florida Kidney Fund, 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Please be sure to include "In honor of David Kendrick" on the memo line.
No comments:
Post a Comment