Derrick (Black) Leuci Benefit March 28 in Vestal

Being diagnosed with a serious illness is one of the hardest things a person can go through.  A friend of mine and former co-worker Derrick (Black) Leuci is suffering from end stage renal disease and is in dire need of a kidney transplant.  Derrick is a great guy and I wanted to help by spreading the word to those who used to listen to him on the Hawk and our sister station the Whale, where we worked for a number of years under the name Derrick Black.

Derrick has been struggling with diabetes for awhile and was unfortunately diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease in January 2011.  He has been getting dialysis 3 times for the past 3 years.  He is currently listed on the UNOS Kidney Transplant list and is in desperate need of a kidney. Without the transplant, he will die. Derrick received a call in July 2014 that there was a match and that a kidney was available for him, but sadly, it did not work out.

Derrick most definitely a fighter and will not let this setback keep him down.  The reality is that the cost of a transplant surgery can range from $250,000- $1 million during the first year alone. Anti-rejection medications can cost up to $2,500 a month for the rest of his life. For someone lucky enough to have an organ available for transplant, cost shouldn't be a prohibiting factor to live the rest of their life.

Besides wanting to see his daughter grow up, Derrick's mission is to raise awareness on the dangers of this disease and why it's so important to become an organ donor and help save lives.

So many people in the Southern Tier have donated items for Derrick's upcoming benefit, Saturday March 28, 2015 from 1pm to 8pm at the Vestal American Legion Post 89 located at 118 Jensen Road in Vestal. There will be bands, games, raffles, food, face painting, and other forms of entertainment for people to enjoy.

If you're unable to attend and still want to help out with a donation, you can contact Derrick at: DerrickBenefitFund@gmail.com or leave a message with Amanda at (607) 765-3912.