After a year of waiting, Darci Seipke’s wishes came true this past weekend.
The Lake Orion woman finally got the kidney and pancreas transplants she needed.
‘She’s doing great,? said her mom, Pam Seipke. ‘Both organs are functioning.?
Darci Seipke, whose battle with diabetes has been chronicled in The Review, was last featured when she went on the organ waiting list through the University of Michigan hospital system in November of 2008.
The call finally came the morning of Feb. 10.
The hospital had an kidney and pancreas for her, the organs worn down the most by the diabetes she’s had since she was three years old.
The Seipkes, Pam and her husband, Doug, packed their bags and were ready to go.
‘She was really excited,? Pam said.
Then, that same evening, the hospital called back and said they were forced to cancel the transplant for undisclosed reasons.
The family knew this was a possibility, but Pam said Darci was crestfallen.
Then, not more than 12 hours later, at 5 a.m. the next morning, the Seipkes received the call again.
‘A lot of different emotions run though you,? Pam said. ‘We were excited–and nervous.?
The bags were already packed, and the Seipkes drove Darci to Ann Arbor, where the operation started at 11 a.m. and lasted until 4:30 p.m.
‘All we could do was sit in the waiting room to see what was going to happen,? Pam said.
The operation was a success.
For the past several days, Darci has been recovering at the hospital.
‘Life is going to be a whole lot different for her,? Pam said.
The Seipkes, who have hosted a series of fundraising events over the past, will continue on in their plight.
They hope Darci will be able to get a job with better insurance when she recovers, but in the meantime, Medicad only covers a portion of the costly drugs Darci will require.
The Scrapbooking Marathon set for March 28-29 at Lion’s Bear Lake Camp will go on as planned.