SUMMER UPDATE: 7 Months post transplant!

Wow, what a crazy few months!! The Covid virus has kept our family in quarantine and living the dream from day to day. We would like to again thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for the kindness and support.

Matt continues to be healthy and strong and will have a Bilateral Nephrectomy on Friday, June 26th. The University of Utah Kidney Transplant team will be taking out his two diseased kidneys to ensure Matt's health and safety of the new kidney. We are lucky enough to have the same surgeon who performed the kidney transplant in November. We continue to live every day happy and healthy and hope you will continue to keep Matt in your good thoughts.

Hi Everyone, I am so fortunate for my health, friends and community (that's all of you:))that have helped me thru this entire life changing situation. The working kidney is rocking and have never felt any pain or rejection and right before Covid hit the Dr's said exercise was ok, so I hit my bike and began hiking with a vengeance, so I feel stronger than ever going into this surgery. I hope to have a gathering upon this final recovery of everyone from this page, whether virtual or not and I can show my gratitude as well as ugly scars. Only kidding, love to you all!

We will be closing this amazing fundraiser and could not be more grateful for the outpouring of LOVE. We will be updating on Matt's recovery status in the upcoming week.

With love and gratitude,

Kimberly, Matt & Siena

Christmas, New Years and 6 Week Recovery

Hello to my incredible friends and support system!

This was a truly magical time to celebrate the holidays and I couldn't feel any more joyous than this year considering all my good fortune in 2019.

First, an incredible holiday sharing it with Kimberly and Siena where we enjoyed many great times and laughs as a family. They both took incredible care of me and got me up on my feet quicker thanks to the constant love and care throughout this healing process. Our Park City network provided our family with fresh meals from December 1-20 which again was way beyond the reaches of kindness and we are forever grateful for this outpouring.

As far as recovery, I feel blessed to be healthy! In mid-December, I started walking longer distances than just to the end of my driveway! I am now jamming on the trails over 2 miles daily and soon its on to the bike trainer! None of this recovery would be possible without the drive and motivation all of you have provided to me. You're acts of kindness drive me each day. In addition, the new kidney is performing mightily and all my health numbers and tests are all tracking successfully. The doctors keep urging me to keep it up! Which of course I will.

I love each and every one of you and hope to see everyone face to face soon, Happy New Year to all, Matty.

December-First Walks

Hello all,

Matt is kicking the daily recovery in the butt. He has been walking outside everyday and loving the sunshine. Still so grateful everyday for all of you. We truly could not make it through without all of the help.

Forever grateful-The Pattersons

Thanksgiving Day-From Matty

Hello all my great friends in this world!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone today and it goes without saying that my life is full of many blessings on this holiday as I received the greatest gift of all on November 21. I remain speechless and complete with a heart full of love from the outpouring of love from my entire community of friends.

THANKSGIVING UPDATE

I was released from the hospital on Sunday and the new kidney is living nicely now behind my hip and is cranking away as it should. Its fantastic being home, I feel great and the ultimate exercise is walking around the house! I finally made it up the stairs yesterday, baby steps!

Every day Kimberly and I drive down to the U of U to get my blood levels checked so that the cocktail of meds are effectively pushing back kidney rejection and keeping function in line. The biggest fear is catching a virus as I now have no immune system so I continue to hunker down like a newborn for the next 4 to 6 weeks and strengthen with every day.

After I heal from this surgery and feel stronger, I return to the U of U hospital in March for surgery number 2 to remove my enlarged cyst filled kidneys. Yes, I have 3 kidneys now! I couldn’t receive the 2 for 1 last week due to fear and risk of infection and increased rejection. I know, quite a journey and process here, all the while I need to avoid air travel and as many crowds as possible. I am dogmatic to follow thru on this opportunity and want to challenge the record of living the longest time with a transplanted kidney and run this thing for 30 to 40 years!

Again, I am speechless by the outpouring of love and caring from all of you and promise to be on the move soon, take care and cheers to the best Thanksgiving ever! Matty

November 22, 2019 MEETING THE DONOR!!!

Yesterday we met this angel, Sheryce Davis, who gave Matt her kidney. Sheryce and her husband Ed live in Boise, Idaho. Thanksgiving came early for Matt as Sheryce decided to donate out of the kindness of her heart.

Matt and Sheryce are both doing incredible and hope to go home tomorrow!(Sunday)

Preparing for transplant on November 21st

I am reaching out to everyone today in that I need help. I never thought it would be me with the health issue as I have lived every day as if I were immune to anything serious, but not the case…

10 years ago I found out I have Poly-Cystic Kidney Disease (PKD) which is a childhood genetic abnormality that causes Cysts to grow in your Kidneys. As life goes on the Cysts enlarge with fluid, pack the cavity, and decimate kidney function. To this point my kidneys are packed full of cysts and I have 10% kidney function total in both kidneys and I lose 5% function each year. This means my health is on a rapid decline and my next step is to prepare for Transplant surgery. Yes, crazy stuff I know. At first this was a multi-year wait, but by some stroke of incredible fortune I was notified last week of an altruistic member of the community who is donating a kidney to the University of Utah and I am a perfect match!!! The surgery is scheduled on November 21! Holy Rockets.

I am grateful as can be as this transplant will allow me to continue to thrive in life and be a loving husband and father of which nothing is more valuable.

I am asking all of you, and with my deepest sincerity, to please help us with any possible donations as it will be a long road to recovery for us. I am immensely grateful for even the consideration. I am thankful for my friends and the community we have behind us and this thought fills my heart full of hope and fire!

MATTY P'S NEW KIDNEY!!!!

By matt patterson

MATTY P'S NEW KIDNEY!!!!

NEW YEAR 2020 UPDATE