Man struggles with medication costs after lifesaving liver transplant as aid foundation folds
By Jason Burger
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EL RENO, Oklahoma (KOCO) — An El Reno man who underwent a lifesaving liver transplant last year is grappling with the financial burden of his essential medication after the collapse of a foundation that was assisting him.
“I don’t know what to do, and it’s impacting me real hard,” said Michael Smithwick, the liver transplant patient.
Smithwick has had a challenging year. Along with several other procedures, he had a liver transplant in 2023 and had to keep going back to the hospital because of infections.
“I’ve been in probably about 10 to 15 times,” he said.
Smithwick is now facing a new problem — paying for essential medication. He was relying on donated money through the National Foundation for Transplants.
“They just take it out of the account and pay it straight to the pharmacy. I never touch the money,” he said.
But the foundation recently folded. Smithwick told KOCO 5 there was about $1,800 of donated money in his account — money that he planned to use for important medications that he can’t afford.
“They gave me a list of other foundations that might help me, but I can’t transfer the money over that I had left,” he said. “They sent me another email saying, you cannot … they will not be giving the money back.”
Not only did Smithwick not get the rest of the money, he says donors never got a refund either. The money seems to have vanished into thin air.
Smithwick is getting help from Integris Baptist. They’ve agreed to pay the medication costs for now, but it’s unknown how long they’ll keep doing that.
“I have two prescriptions that they’re going to fill that I have to call and see if they can pay for it again, because one of them is my anti-rejection medicine,” he said.
The National Foundation for Transplants released a statement to KOCO 5, saying, “All contributions received by the National Foundation for Transplants were donated for its discretionary use as a non-profit entity in support of its mission. Tax laws and IRS Regulations prevent the earmarking of any donation or gift to NFT to or for the benefit of any specific individual. Gifts previously made have been utilized for serving transplant patients. There will be no funds remaining at closure.”
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