Update on Dan - June 5, 2012

We want to thank everyone for all of the love, support, and kind wishes that have been showered upon Dan. We are so grateful for friends, family, and even strangers from across the world who have donated to our fundraiser to help Dan and Lorie with the many medical expenses associated with a liver transplant that aren't fully covered by insurance. One friend of Dan's in particular has amazed us- he has countless generous friends who have rallied to his call to help Dan. These "friends of a friend" have never even met Dan and yet they have been so incredibly supportive and kind. The child of one of them even donated his allowance! As a family we've been calling and texting each other in excitement and gratitude at all of the kindness shown to Dan, Lorie, and their children, Dylan and Lexi. Please accept our virtual thank yous! I've spoken with Dan frequently and he's been moved to tears countless times throughout the past week. He said that the fundraiser site has given him something to watch and helped him get his mind focused on something other than the wait for the liver. In other fundraising news, a local Italian restaurant has offered to host a fundraising evening for Dan at an upcoming date. We should have more information on this shortly and will post it to the blog as soon as details are finalized.

I received another update from Lorie on Dan. To recap for those who missed this- Dan was officially listed on the UNOS transplant list with a MELD score of 40. He is in stable condition and multiple doctors and nurses have expressed their amazement at how excellent his strength and mental awareness are for someone with such a high MELD score. Because Dan has a MELD score of 40, this puts him at highest priority on the UNOS list. At this point we have every reason to believe that he should have his transplant within the next couple of weeks. A matter of concern is Dan's kidneys. Doctors are closely monitoring his blood as his kidneys are being affected by Dan's liver failure. If his creatnine levels continue to rise than Dan may have to begin dialysis next week. This would not be ideal, but doctors are still hopeful that Dan won't need a kidney transplant. As long as he receives his liver shortly, his kidneys should hopefully be okay.
Dan really loves and appreciates visits from friends and family. Please contact Lorie via Facebook, email, or phone to arrange a time to visit. Please don't just drop in as Dan may be sleeping and as you can imagine rest and sleep are important and at a premium with doctors and nurses constantly monitoring his stats.

Thank you to everyone for all of your love, support, and prayers for Dan. We'll keep you updated as we know more.