I just thought I would post a copy of a letter from Charlene Booth explaining why they need to raise money so quickly.
"During the period from 1990 to 1996, while working in the Green Waste section of the Los Angeles County Department of Sanitation, Harold was, on numerous occassions, stuck in the hands by needles while cleaning the rollers of his machine. Each time, Harold went to his supervisors and reported the incident. His supervisors refused to take a report and told Harold to return to his duties, which he did.
In 1997, while having his yearly physical exam, Harold was diagnosed with having Hepatitis C. The disease started showing itself in 2000. Harold went to the doctor with stomach complaints. He was referred to a specialist who diagnosed Harold as suffering from liver failure due to Hepatitis C. In the last two and a half years, Harold has spent almost as much time in the hospital as he has out of it. We've almost lost him several times, but he's a fighter. There are times when he would like to give up the fight, but he says he won't do that to me, our children and our grandchildren.
Harold has been approved for a transplant. Our youngest son, Richard, has volunteered to donate half of his liver to his father. This is not an easy surgery. The doctors have compared it to being hit head-on by a Volkswagon. Richard is only 23 years old, and has three small children of his own. He has a 1% to 3% chance of dying from the surgery, but as he says, without it, his father has a 100% chance of dying.
The reason we are holding these charity auctions is to help raise the money for our share of cost. We have applied for state aide, but they only pay a portion of the cost of a transplant, which is $250,000.00, and they won't pay one red cent until we have paid our share, which is $5,000.00. Needless to say, with all the hospital and prescription costs we've been faced with over the past few years, we don't have anywhere close to that amount of money, thus the need for any and all help we can get.
If you don't need or want what is on auction but would still like to contribute, you may do so by sending whatever amount you would like to donate to either my PayPal account -- snipped-for-privacy@qnet.com -- or if you would like to make a donation by check or money order, please contact me at the email address listed and I will send you my mailing address.
From the bottom of our hearts we thank you. Charlene