Ricky's Transplant Support Fund

Apologies for the long story but I feel it's vital to explain as fully as I can, whilst at the same time being as brief as possible. Hi, my name is Ricky, I'm 33 years old & i was born with a rare condition called Gastroschisis, (Intestines on the outside of my abdomen). I wasn't expected to survive due to the complexity & severity of my birth defect. I did survive, but due to a monumental error by the surgeon who first operated on me, I have since had to undergo 65 major operations on my abdomen (not including minor operations for central lines etc) up to this point. I'm the only person born like I was, that's had all the complications I've had, Still Alive! That the dr's are aware of. All these operations have left me with a condition called Short Bowel Syndrome, (Not enough intestine to sustain my own nutritional needs to support life). I am intravenously fed (Known as TPN) via a line surgically inserted into a main vein in my chest, which carries many risks (Blockages, Blood Clots, Infections, Sepsis & Scaring), all of which can be fatal. Due to me having many lines throughout my life since birth, I have basically ran out of veins needed to administer the intravenous feeding that is giving me the nutrition & other drugs needed to keep me alive. This means if I get 1 more line related complication, I have no veins left to put another line in to administer the TPN or other drugs I also need. So I have been referred by the Dr's who treat me for a Small Bowel, & Abdominal Wall Transplant, it is a procedure that is now needed, As this is my last & only option to be able to stay alive! I am hopefully being placed on the transplant list in January. Now a bit about why I'm appealing for help in the form of donations... I live in Sheffield & in order for me to have the transplant, I have to go to the transplant unit in Oxford, which is 150 miles from home for me & my wife Lisa. When I do get a call to say that I have a donor & the transplant will go ahead, my wife will be coming with me to be there to support me. She will be staying with me until I am no longer considered critical post operatively. The hospital do have some accommodation for relatives, but as my wife is disabled herself, & uses an electric wheelchair, & the accommodation isn't suitable for her to be able to stay in. So this means in order for her to be able to stay, she will need to stay in a hotel which is suitable for disabled people to stay in, which is a few miles away & then get taxi's to & from the hotel & hospital. She will also need basic food & drinks etc.. we also need the money to cover the travel (fuel money) to & from Oxford for her. Friends will be driving her to & from Oxford in our car, as it has a hoist in it to get her wheelchair in, as she can't really drive at the minute, so we'll also need to pay towards their time & inconvenience if possible? If they choose to take her for free that's their choice... But we can't expect it... We need to take away all the extra stress & worry that isn't transplant operation related, due to how big an operation it is & the extra risks to me due to the lack of IV access, in order for me to be able to concentrate on me, getting through the operation & recovery. This means me making sure my wife Lisa is taken care of & is able to manage whilst I'm out of action, as well as all the extra financial worries that need to be taken care of if possible? I could be in Oxford for up to 12 weeks in all & we need to make sure we can meet all the expenses related to this ordeal, & we simply don't have the funds to be able to do so... I'm not one to ask for help but this time we have no choice but to do so, & we would be forever grateful for every donation... As it would allow us to completely focus on getting through the transplant & recovering without extra worry & stress. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Many thanks Ricky.