Christopher Wruck with his wife, Sarah, and children Alister and Gwen (Facebook photo)
In need of a new kidney, Christopher Wruck, a 2005 Brookwood High School graduate, estimates that even with insurance coverage, his out-of-pocket medical expenses will reach $30,000 over three years.
To help offset his expenses, a fundraiser is set for 12–4 p.m. Sunday, July 8, at the Ontario American Legion Hall, 205 State St. The event will feature a 50/50 raffle, a gun raffle, basket raffles, a silent auction, a pie auction, and food and drink.
Proceeds will be deposited with Help Hope Live, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to aiding organ-transplant recipients pay costs for their surgeries not covered by insurance and other programs.
Since childhood, Wruck has had IgA nephropathy, a kidney disease that occurs when an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) lodges in one’s kidneys. This results in local inflammation that, over time, may hamper one’s kidneys’ ability to filter wastes from one’s blood.
In Wruck’s case, he is nearing end-stage renal failure, leaving him with the choice continuing dialysis several days a week or finding a kidney donor. Hoping to lead a normal life and extend his life expectancy, he will have surgery Aug. 8 in Madison, receiving a kidney from his biological aunt.
Besides the cost of the surgery itself, Wruck will need to cover medications (anti-rejection, anti-viral, etc.), deductibles, premiums, co-pays/insurance, follow-up care, travel, lodging, and so forth. Also, he will be required to take on Medicare Part A & B.
For more information on Wruck’s situation, go to “Chris Needs a Kidney” on Facebook or to www.shareyourspare.club.
