About Jen
New Fundraiser and news update.... click here for details!
Jen Thomas is a 34 year old Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker, sometimes bartender, animal lover, golfer, dart player, daughter of Jim and Sharon Thomas, sister of Kim and JT and a friend of too many to name! She is originally from Munhall but has lived in East Mckeesport, PA for the past 10 years.
To give a little background, this past New Year’s Eve 2011, we were all having a great time at a friend’s house and decided to use the blood pressure monitor that was sitting on the kitchen table. We were all taking turns and when Jen took her blood pressure and it was (we thought mistakenly) 225 over 125 we all thought there was something wrong with the machine. Crazy for a healthy 34 year old right?? We made her take it 2 more times with the same results. She promised to go to the Dr. first thing Monday morning. Within three weeks Jen was in the hospital and her Dr. found that her kidneys were only functioning at 5%. After treatment and medication to increase her red blood cells they told her that she had advanced kidney disease and that eventually she would need a kidney transplant. Devastating news for someone her age I know. They then prepped her for dialysis by splicing her veins together in her left arm so that when she did need to start dialysis this would already be done and she could begin immediately. She has handled this much better than I think I could and has tried to do the normal things she has always done. As of now she is taking medication and has her blood and kidneys checked weekly. She isn’t allowed to golf yet but we are hoping she can get out with our Girls Golf League at Irwin Country Club by the time we tee off at the end of April.
The reason for this website is that Jen, unfortunately, has no health insurance. Her friends have gathered together and are planning a number of fund raisers which I’ll be letting you know about. If you cannot attend the event or just would like to help us defray some of her medical bills, please donate whatever you can. (any amount is appreciated).
It is still early in her journey but with our help and encouragement I know she will be fine! Thanks for stopping by!