Fund-raiser planned for kidney transplant candidate
CLARKSVILLE – In March, Danielle Chulick Sawicky accompanied her grandmother on a trip to the doctor for a routine blood pressure check. Little did she know she would be the one in need of a doctor’s care. Later, she would be diagnosed with a serious condition that would require her to get a kidney transplant.
“My grandmother has high blood pressure and she was getting her blood pressure checked, so we all decided to get checked, and when they did mine, they found that my blood pressure was really high,” said Sawicky.
“They did some other tests and told me that I would have to go to Washington Hospital for further testing and treatment.”
The 27-year-old Clarksville resident has end stage renal failure, a complete or near complete failure of the kidneys to function properly and eliminate fluid and waste from the body, according to MedLine Plus Health Information, a Web site operated by the National Library of Medicine.
“It occurs when kidneys are no longer able to function at a level that is necessary for day-to-day life,” according to the Web site. “Without dialysis or kidney transplant, complications are multiple and severe.”
The daughter of Denny and Debbie Chulick of Clarksville, Sawicky must undergo a kidney transplant. Because medical insurance won’t fully cover the cost of the transplant surgery, Sawicky’s family and friends have organized a fund-raiser dinner/dance for Friday.
Tickets for the event, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Clarksville Fire Hall, cost $15, and guests will be treated to dinner, dancing, refreshments, door prizes and a Chinese auction. Local businesses donated prizes for the raffles.
Although Sawicky does not know exactly how much money she needs to cover the cost of the surgery, she and her family are confident the fund-raiser will help them significantly.
“We know there will be at least 400 people there, because they have sold that many tickets. There really are just a few tickets left, and we expect that some will be sold at the door,” she said.
The surgery will be performed at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, and both Sawicky’s mother and sister are to be tested to find out if they would be suitable donors.
Although the diagnosis came unexpectedly, Sawicky, a Jefferson-Morgan High School graduate employed at Intermediate Unit 1, is dealing with her condition and has kept a positive attitude.
“I’ve been dealing with it pretty well. I am on dialysis now, but I have never felt sick and I still don’t feel sick, so I’m doing fine,” she said.
Anyone who cannot attend the fund-raiser but wants to donate to the Danielle Chulick Sawicky Benefit Fund can mail a contribution in care of Hoyle’s Graphic Xpressions at 440 Main St., Clarksville, 15322, or to any National City Bank.