John Thomas Bell

John Bell

Transplant Type: Lung/Liver/Kidney

Update: We're thrilled to report that John received a lung and liver transplant on May 6 and a kidney transplant on May 7, 2018!

Dear Family and Friends of John & Isa Bell,

I am writing on behalf of John & Isa Bell at this tender time. As most of you know, John was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis several decades ago and has received treatments and medications from a dedicated team of Drs since that time. Several weeks ago, John’s Dr. indicated the time has come that he will need to undergo transplants for his lungs, liver, and kidney. This is a very rare triple transplant. John and Isa knew this time could eventually come, but the surprise news at the end of 2017 was much sooner than expected. As you can imagine, finding a proper donor for each of those vital organs at the same time, and then successfully transplanting them will be a long and difficult process. It will require a dedicated team of medical professionals, and will certainly take the loving support of family and friends around him and Isa. The actual surgery is expected to be about 18 hours, and the recovery will be several months.

Fortunately, good news came this morning (Jan. 17, 2018). His Drs called and they found a donor for all organs and he is going into surgery this afternoon. He is currently at St. Lukes Hospital and Isa and a few family members will be with him. On their behalf, we welcome prayers from your families.

Separately, while John and Isa have been preparing for this and have appropriate insurance, the demands and cost will likely be very significant. As such, I am writing on their behalf to request help to reduce some of the financial burdens that could be placed on Isa and John. As such, I have worked with John and his brother Paul and Stirling Pack (the donation committee) to coordinate with the National Foundation for Transplants. Any donations will be granted to John to be used for his transplant-related expenses.

On their behalf, we appreciate your love, prayers, and support. If you have any questions regarding this, please feel free to contact Paul, myself or Stirling.

Sincerely,

Paul Bell - (303) 888-0231; pbelldds@gmail.com

Chris Crawford - (281) 381-2017; crawfordc@longnecker.com

Stirling Pack - (281) 633-6381; sdpackjr@gmail.com

You can help by making a tax-deductible donation to NFT in honor of John. If you'd prefer to send your gift by mail, please send it to the NFT Texas Transplant Fund, 3249 W. Sarazens Circle, Suite 100, Memphis, TN 38125. Please be sure to write "in honor of John Bell” on the memo line.

Thank you for your generosity!

Patient Health Institute: CHI St. Luke’s