Finances are always a sensitive situation, but they are a real part of this whole equation.  Fortunately Billy has very good insurance and it will pay the vast majority of the cost of this transplant.  However, there will be a number of expenses that will be out of pocket and they will be significant.  Our desire as a family is for money not to be a concern for them as they go through this process.  That is just another stress that they do not need to deal with.  We will be conducting fund raising events and soliciting personal donations to help defray these cost.  Since he does have good insurance we will be looking at trying to raise between $25,000 to $50,000 rather than the overall $300,000 or more that the entire process will cost.

The out of pocket expenses will include relocation expenses during the 8 to 12 weeks of recuperation in Birmingham.  He will be required to stay within 20 minutes of the hospital during this time.  Fortunately there are places nearby that can be rented for him and Joanne to stay.  In addition, there will parking, food, prescription co-pays, procedure co-pays, home health care, etc. 

So, why donate?  Well, your donations will help Billy and Joanne be able to completely focus on Billy's recovery.  Obviously when money is not an issue it allows for a less stressful process.  As a family we hope to help them in this area as much as possible by allowing his family and friends to come along side and help in the area of finances.

Billy has signed on with The National Transplant Assistance Fund for assistance in fund raising and receiving donations.  NTAF is a non-profit organization that will receive tax deductible donations on his behalf and then disperse them in the form of reimbursements for cost he incurs related to the transplant.  Visit their web site for more info on them.