Arnetta Frueh was diagnosed with end stage kidney failure in October 2020.  She began dialysis at home, and testing proved that her daughter, Heidi, was a perfect donor match.  Transplant surgery was scheduled on May 26, 2021.  Heidi’s surgery went flawless, Arnetta’s did not.  The three hour surgery took nearly eight hours.  She stayed in ICU for more than a week.  Unfortunately, the transplant failed and Arnetta was put back on a transplant list.  Another surgery followed to insert a lifeline for hemodialysis directly to her heart.  Once home, she would get hemodialysis 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for the foreseeable future.  She was denied eligibility for a second transplant due to weight parameters, so for the next year she worked diligently to lose 25 pounds and become healthy enough for a second chance.  Arnetta missed two Christmases with her children and grandchildren, missed the birth of her first granddaughter, seeing friends and leaving her home in general- making an unbearable situation, even worse.  On December 12, 2022, Arnetta received the call of a potential deceased donor match, and at 11:30 PM she and her husband, Tim, were on the road to Rochester to receive the kidney.  Seventeen days later she was home to recover but had to take extreme precautions due to her immunosuppressed state.

Her husband Tim is self-employed as a Master Plumber and their only means of income, he scheduled his work around dialysis so he could take care of her.  Months of traveling to and from Rochester for dialysis, hospital and hotel expenses from multiple surgeries, expensive medications and lab tests every two weeks for the rest of her life have caused immense financial stress.  Friends have stepped forward to champion help and hope.  Lend A Hand Up will boost your online donation 20% to make your generosity go further – all proceeds go to Arnetta and Tim.  Cash/Check donations must be made payable and gifted directly to the Fruehs.