How to Donate to the Event

Food and Non-Alcoholic Drinks for the Event:
Please

Wine and Beer for the Event:
Please call Erin at 503.309.6488

Items for the Raffle:
Please

Kristy's Story

In August 19th, 2008, Kristy Geffen and her partner rushed to the Emergency Room because Kristy was cramping up in tremendous pain. A few days later, she was in and out of consciousness in the Intensive Care Unit, unable to pass urine and suffering from dangerously low platelet and red blood cell counts. Kristy, a healthy 26-year-old, contracted e. coli from something she ate. This led to a rare autoimmune reaction, causing her body to kill her red blood cells and platelets. These clogged her kidneys, leading to renal failure.

The opening line of Kristy's medical chart read, "Most people with this disease die." Her partner, mom and sister stayed with her day and night, praying for the best as Kristy received daily dialysis and plasma exchange. An entire 32 days after her admission to the Hospital, Kristy was finally discharged. She continues to receive outpatient treatment and is on her way to a full recovery!

 

Kristy Needs Your Help

While Kristy is lucky to have medical insurance, she is facing up to $10,000 in medical co-pays. In addition, she is out of work until she recovers more fully and her partner took a five-week unpaid leave of absence, so their bills are piling up quickly. The Happy Kidneys Rock Show Benefit Spectacular will play a key role in helping them return to financial health as Kristy regains her physical health.

Your donation of food, drink or an item for the raffle will help Kristy pay her medical and utility bills. What's more, your services or business will be advertised at the event if you donate.

 

Lesbian Duo Fight E. Coli with Benefit
article from 11/7/08 Just Out magazine

It only took Kristy Geffen a few hours after eating E. coli tainted food to feel the stomach pains that later developed into full renal failure — but it took 32 days in the hospital, half a million dollars of surgery and plasma from the other side of the country to get her back on her feet.

The Portland massage therapist nearly lost her life in the harrowing incident. “I was pretty lucky,” she says by phone, her voice quiet and underpowered after being sapped of energy from the hospital stay. At the lowest point of her stay, she was given only 10 percent chance of survival.

Things have turned around for Geffen since then. She’s back to playing in the yard with her mutt, Myra, and back to work part time doing medical billing work for a friend to help make ends meet. “I’m pretty tired still,” she says, “but I’m getting my energy back.”

Later this month, Geffen will get a big burst of energy and support to offset the astronomical cost of her emergency; her medical bills, though partially covered by insurance, totaled about $10,000. She and her partner, former Just Out Staff Writer Malka Geffen, have decided to both celebrate her miraculous recovery and raise money to pay off those bills by throwing a “Happy Kidneys” benefit concert 7 p.m. Nov. 21 at Portland Ecotrust Conference Center, 721 N.W. Ninth Ave. The benefit features some of their favorite Portland indie musical acts: Sarah Dougher, Little Beirut and Malcolm Rollick.

Of the musicians on the bill, Geffen says Dougher means a lot to the couple. “Malka made me a CD of Sarah Dougher when we first started dating.”