The holiday season is bound to have a multitude of hopes and surprises. For Josh Bafia, getting on the kidney transplant list got him one step closer to the greatest gift he could ask for: a kidney to help him live a normal life again.
Josh and his wife Missy have four children. The family has struggled emotionally and financially throughout the past four years due to a single-vehicle accident involving Josh that resulted in injuries and poor health conditions, in addition to the health conditions he had previously. Josh is a type-one diabetic, has been battling end stage kidney failure since April 2018, and has gastroparesis. At the time of the accident, Josh went unconscious while driving the family’s minivan due to his blood-sugar dropping.
Josh and Missy were battling with their insurance company to get him a glucose monitor for his blood sugar. It was approved after the accident and has helped in keeping his blood sugar stable.
He has been attending three four-hour-long dialysis appointments per week since November 2018. Due to his diagnosis, he was fired from his full-time job in February 2019. He now relies on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and medical assistance for support.
Friends and community members started a GoFundMe after the accident to help the family with their finances. The donations were able to help the family continue to stay in their current home together and to cover expenses that SSDI does not provide for. A new GoFundMe was made in September 2020 for additional support.
“Even small donations help. They build up. Every little bit helps,” Sandy Salveter, who is the lead organizer for the GoFundMe on behalf of the Bafia family, said in the fundraiser’s description. “And just to see a donation come in, no matter the amount, raises Melissa’s and Josh’s spirits, knowing that people care. This is especially important given the lack of family support.”
Knights for Life hosted their “Knight for a Cause” fundraiser at the Pinecrest Country Club in January 2020, in which the proceeds went towards the Bafia family.
“We have definitely had some good people come into our lives and support our family throughout this, which we are so grateful for because we could never do this alone,” Missy said. “It is emotionally draining.”
Recently, Josh has been put on the transplant list by the University of Pennsylvania Transplant Team and is trying to find a living donor. He has been on dialysis for over three years, which causes more heart issues the longer spent on it and can shorten his lifespan. A kidney from a living donor lasts twice as long as a kidney from a deceased donor, and It’s also less likely to be rejected and avoids the four-to-seven-year average wait on the transplant list. The family has made car stickers and yard signs to help find a living donor.
“These last almost four years have been a constant battle, definitely mentally exhausting,” Missy said. “[We’re] always wondering what is going to happen next with his health.”
Josh currently is working a part-time job. While he says he is exhausted from his dialysis appointments, being on the transplant list makes him hopeful.
“I'm excited to move forward [and have] the possibility of something to help pursue regular life again,” Josh said.
He is grateful for the donations he’s received and for the community members who were compassionate enough to help him along the way.
“The people that I've met along the way, I wouldn't have met if this didn't happen,” Josh said. “I'm shocked by the amount of support that I get from the community.”
To make a donation to the Bafia family, click here for their GoFundMe. Interested kidney donors can contact Penn Kidney Transplant at 215-662-6200.
See also:
Knights for Life to Host Fundraiser for Local Father of Four Battling End-Stage Kidney Failure
Driver Of Overturned Mini-Van Suffers Injuries, Crash Caused By Medical Condition
Vehicle Crash Forces Closure of Valley Forge Road in Worcester Township
'Knight For A Cause' To Benefit Local Cancer Patient
Knights for Life to Host Frisbee Tournament Fundraiser
