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We all have important values and ideas, people we care about and hearts to share. Sometimes we feel our love can change the world,or a life. We would like to open our hearts to you and share our love,in hopes that we can all join together to make this world a better place for Joshua Fine to live.
A miracle occured, on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2002 when a donor kidney became available for Josh. The other patient was unnable to accept the kidney because of an infection, so Josh was next. Transplant organs can only remain viable for short time outside a body, so the transplant team had to debate hard and fast to make this difficult choice, considering Josh's ill health. They decided for the transplant, and Josh was rushed up to The University of Chicago Hospital. The kidney, now 21 hours out of a body, was implanted into Josh. Josh is home now,and so far the kidney has not attempted to reject. his attitude is good and his health is slowly improving, barring any unforseen illnesses or infections .The doctors have added a anti-rejection medication to his still growing list of 15 medications that josh has been on for the last 14 of his 15 years . As of now, the kidney is doing well but he will however, need to travel 2 to 3 times a week back up to Chicago so the doctors can monitor the kidney and his overall health.Over the years, the fund has been in place for Joshes medical expenses, helping josh and his family ,along with the insurance that Lana's employment has offered to them.However, so much of Joshes medical expenses were and are not covered by insurance that the fund has slowly become depleted,for instance, the last two prescriptions alone cost $1000 a month. The famiy's cost is over $300,just for these two pills that have been added to the list of pills.
Since march of 2002 we have been kept very busy with fund raisers for Josh's medical expenses. On March 30 th Roxy 's Truckstop in Westville,In, hosted a fundraiser for Josh and the Thunder Road band volunteered their time as well as a local D.J. for the event.Many people came and had a great time. The raffles were many and the fund began to build back up on that night .
Thanks to the people who donated the items. Special thanks to Roxy, Starr, and everyone who were involved with the fundraiser.
On June 2dn, the Chesterton,Indiana motorcycle Club A.M.A. Charter#6514 came forward and hosted a charity poker run for josh. Drew Gatewood and his friends helped tremendously and all had a great time, the weather was beautiful, and the rain held off for us, again, helping to add to the fund at a needful time. We thank you all so much for your timely help.
Now, on august 27,we recieved a beautiful and loving card from The Lacrosse Apostolic Christian Church and Sunday School of Lacrosse,Indiana also include was a check that their vacation Bible school collected this summer for Josh 's medical expenses. We are so grateful to all of you wonderful folks, strangers no more to us, who have put yourselves out for our cause.
We are raffeling off a brand new , still in the box , 27" Sanyo T.V. andVCR that has been donated ,at this time and plan to pull the winning ticket on Joshes birthday,october 6th. The winner need not be present, but unfortunatly must live close enough to pick them up. Anyone interested in purchasing the $2.00 tickets please contact me at my home ,phone#219-785-4403,in th evening, please.we also hope to be involved with the Westville,Indiana PumpkinFest, Oct,4-5-6- we hope to have a table there to sell the donated items that.we have left, which are varied items.
Josh continues to heal,not as fast as he would like,of course,afterall he is a teenager and for the first time in his life he has a fairly normal life. Unfortunealty, his pills have continued to mount as well as his bills. He has topped (we hope) wiith 25 pills a day that he takes for his kidney and his general health,both important in keeping the kidney from rejecting.His body has fought a valiant battle all his 15 years and will take time to fully heal,but Josh is a scrapper and doesn' t let this stop him., at least not for long. .He still needs to rest a lot but again he always has had to do this, his strength isnt for long endurance.As his grandmother, I have to say, I'm proud of him and this neverending battle he has fought and hopefully with your and our help,Josh will grow to manhood, perhaps alittle slower, but he will make it. Bless you all. August,30,2002
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