After a long wait, there is finally some hope for Darci Seipke, the 29-year-old Lake Orion woman in need of a kidney transplant.
In October, Seipke was accepted into a program at the University of Michigan hospital system where the wait for a kidney is about 2 or 3 years.
It won’t come soon enough for Seipke, who is currently worn out from dialysis three days a week, four hours a day.
‘It really isn’t much of a lifestyle,? said her mother, Pam. ‘She’s not been feeling too swift the last couple of weeks.?
Darci said that with winter approaching, its even harder to get to the treatment center in Royal Oak.
‘Even if there’s an ice storm, it doesn’t matter, you have to go,? she said.
But the prospects of a new kidney are encouraging.
‘It feels good,? said Darci. ‘Then I wouldn’t have to be diabetic anymore.?
Darci was diagnosed with diabetes when she was just three years old.
‘It wears and tears on all your organs. It slowly shuts down your kidney,? Pam said.
In February of 2007, doctors told Darci she would need a new kidney.
At the time, Darci was taking classes at Oakland Community College.
She was forced to leave school due to her illness.
‘There’s no way she could handle a full load of classes,? her mother said.
Darci, who said she had trouble just sitting down and keeping still before the dialysis treatment started, now doesn’t have enough energy to get off the couch most days.
‘I’d like to be able to take CoCo (her dog) for a walk, but that’s not happening,? she said.
One of the most frustrating aspects of the ordeal has been the financial burden on the family.
In an effort to deal with mounting medical bills, the Seipkes started the nonprofit Darci Seipke Benefit Foundation. They’ve hosted fundraising benefits in and around the Orion/Oxford area since becoming incorporated in August of 2008.
Pam implores the community to come to the events to help her daughter.
She said the fear of what could happen to her daughter is the most difficult to bear.
‘Knowing that if she doesn’t get the transplant, I could outlive her. Mother’s aren’t supposed to bury their kids,? she said.
The following is the calendar of events for the foundation in 2009:
Bowling Extravaganza on Jan. 26 from noon to 4 p.m. at Collier Lanes in Oxford. $25 per person or $75 for a family of five.
Scrapbooking Marathon on March 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lion’s Bear Lake Camp in Lapeer. $100 per person ($9 additional for twin bedding.) $30 a day for vendor space.
Concessions at Concerts in the Park. Ernie May and his Banjo Friends Concert. The event is every Thursday starting in mid-June through July, 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Civic Center Park in Lake Orion.
Thunder Road Classic Car Show has a tentative date of July 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is part of ‘Trains, Planes and Automobiles? at Olde World Canterbury Village. There is a $15 classic car registration fee.
Big Rig Gig Smash the Car is on August 5 to 9 p.m. at Friendship Park. The fee is $1 per minute.
Annual Fall Festival will be held on Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Canterbury Village. Tents are welcome and the fee is $50 per vendor space.