Local farmer appeals to community for kidney donor

Local farmer appeals to community for kidney donor

‘ The hardest part about this is just having to ask for help’

news@theeveningtimes.com

That folks in Crittenden County are generous is a generally held idea. Another look at giving statistics also paints the south as an outstanding region for willingness to support a good cause. And within the farm community there still exists an unwritten code of helping neighbors.

With all that said, a former Crittenden County family farmer of the year has recently been the beneficiary of such helping hands.

Floyd Holmes of Turrell endures health challenges and has seen neighboring farmers help him in all seasons, especially volunteering during harvest. But now the Holmes Family must appeal to the entire community. Holmes needs help raising funds and an organ donor for a kidney transplant.

“The hardest part about this is just having to ask for help,” said his wife Reena Holmes.

The Holmes’ hope for a new lease on life, and doctors have told Floyd he is in end-stage renal failure. A kidney transplant is critical. The Holmeses decided to go public with their plea after seeing a successful public kidney transplant appeal for West Memphis Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Jones.

Now Holmes’ day revolves around a 9-hour dialysis treatment at home.

Reena and their two daughters have all learned how to assist with his dialysis treatments. These days, his farm work and personal activities are quite limited because of his dialysis treatment and the fact that his diabetes has caused nerve damage in his eyes and legs, making it difficult to walk and see clearly.

A successful transplant from a living donor would restore hope and health, but the help required comes at a high cost. While health insurance covers the cost of the transplant, Holmes faces significant additional expenses related to the surgery. For the rest of his life, he will need follow-up care and daily post-transplant medications and anti-rejection medications.

The Holmes family has organized with a foundation to help with the cause. The National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) is working with supporters to help relieve the growing burden of expenses for Floyd.

A local board has coalesced around Floyd Holmes to help too. Some of the first members were his family, friends and neighboring farmers. Board member include Chairman Loutielious Holmes, Co-Chairman Daryel Jackson, Treasurer Sharon Wilson, CPA; Quorum Court Justice Vicki Robertson, daughter Payton Holmes is selling snow cones to raise funds, Franklin Fogleman, Fran Stuckey, Brian Doyle, Rochelle and Andre Coleman, Rogers Ford, Debbie Jackson, Loran Weems, Dr.

Chardae Parish, Lisa Lauderdale, Sarah Johnson. His search for a donor is coordinated by the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute. Those groups combined with the NFT having assisted transplant patients with fundraising support for more than 30 years.

To help Holmes make taxdeductible donation via check or credit card Visit www.transplants.org to make a secure online donation. Click “Find an NFT Patient” to search for Floyd Homes. Or Contact the transplant institute at Methodist to be considered for organ donation.

By John Rech