Maurissa Haisten Opalecky had a kidney and pancreas transplant in 2004 at Memorial Herman Hospital. She is a wife to Dave, and Mom to daughters Ariel (22) and Madeleine (10). She travels 270 miles one way from Hurst, Texas to Houston for follow up lab and clinic appointments.
Deborah Lynn Frasier (left) underwent a liver and kidney transplant at The Methodist Hospital on May 16, 2010. She was in the hospital on and off for a year prior to the transplant, sometimes for as long as three weeks at a time. Her mother, Louise Frasier (right), spent 85 days sleeping in hospital waiting rooms, until a space in a hospitality apartment finally became available. During a recent re-hospitalization, Deborah was separated from her family, because her mother again had no place to stay, and was no longer physically able to withstand the stress of sleepless nights staying at the hospital. The Frasiers live in Refugio, which is 160 miles from Houston.
Brenda Lewis is from out in the country near Hemphill, Texas, 180 miles from Houston. She received a kidney from her friend Pete on September 22, 2010. While Pete was able to go back home immediately after leaving the hospital, Brenda stayed at a hotel near the hospital for the next six weeks so that she could go in for labwork and clinic visits twice a week. With no insurance coverage for the cost of lodging, she paid a total of over $3,500 with a reduced rate as a medical patient. Brenda has been a strong advocate for Nora’s Home and stars in our video, which can be found here.
