Dee Brummett

Dee Crelia Brummett

Transplant Type: Kidney

Dee Crelia Brummett is awaiting a new lease on life. She has been diabetic for 26 years, and over time it has affected her kidneys. A few years ago, she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Her kidney function has rapidly decreased over the past two years, and she is now in stage-5 kidney failure. Dee is on dialysis, which takes a toll on her quality of life and leaves her very tired. Doctors say a kidney transplant is critical.

During this difficult time, Dee is thankful for the love and support of her husband, Donald, and their family and friends. She has three children and eight grandchildren, and her illness causes worry for her family. She looks forward to receiving a transplant that will restore her energy and allow her to feel like herself again. Dee watches her youngest grandson frequently—he is 2 years old, and he gives her the purpose and will to fight back against her illness. She wants nothing more than to be healthy again so she will have more time and energy to devote to her family and be able to be the active wife, mother, and grandmother she longs to be. But right now, she needs your help.

The average kidney transplant costs more than $414,000, and that’s only the beginning. Even with insurance, which will cover a portion of the transplant costs, Dee still faces significant expenses related to the surgery. For the rest of her life, she will need follow-up care and anti-rejection medications. Post-transplant medications are very expensive, and they’re as critical to her survival as the transplant itself.

Dee lives 50 miles from her transplant center, and traveling back and forth for appointments can be expensive. When she receives her transplant, she will have to stay nearby while she recovers, incurring substantial expenses for travel, food, and lodging. Dee is also looking for a living donor; if she finds one, funds raised in her honor can also be used to assist her living donor with lost wages and out of pocket medical costs related to their donation. This helps give a peace of mind to living donor. Living donor kidney can last twice as long as a deceased donor and it can take an ave of 8 years for her to wait on a deceased donor.

You can help by making a tax-deductible donation to NFT in honor of Dee. If you'd prefer to send your gift by mail, please send it to National Foundation for Transplants, 3249 W. Sarazen’s Circle, Suite 100, Memphis, TN 38125. Please be sure to write "in honor of Dee Brummett” on the memo line.

Thank you for your generosity!

Patient Health Institute: Baylor Scott & White