a Grand Forks soldier is getting a little help as he waits for a kidney transplant.
A fundraiser and silent auction tonight are just some ways people are showing support.
42-year-old John Chase was serving overseas with the National Guard for almost 6 months when he noticed a change in his health.
” a lot of times I do too much and I just have to lay down because I see stars and I just go out.”
John started feeling sick when he was serving in Afghanistan but it wasn’t until a family vacation to Disneyland that he knew something was truly wrong.
At first John thought he may have cancer because of his flu-like symptoms, but after three different doctor visits, he found out it was a bug known as good pastures disease.
“It attacks the kidneys and it was on it’s way to attack his lungs too, but they arrested it before it got that far. But it already killed his kidneys so it goes for that soft tissue,” family friend Glory Fladland said.
John is on dialysis three days a week which wears him out. he can’t get a kidney transplant until the bug is out of his system. Family and friends wanted to help with a benefit for some of the expenses at the American Legion in Grand Forks.
“He’s been sickly so I thought I would do something for his family to help out with expenses and stuff like that,” John’s sister-in-law Marie Baker said.
Although John did not get to finish his tour in Afghanistan, he has high hopes for the future.
“I’d like to be able to stay in the Guard, I’m hoping the kidney transplant will go good. I’ll be on medication my whole life. I’d like to be able to finish out my, what do I have, 8 years and then I’ll be done, so that’s what I’m hoping,” Chase said.
John is hoping to get a transplant by June of next year.
Tags: john chase, kidney transplant, lezlie johnson, grand forks, news, military