Superior rallies behind resident in need of transplant
<p><strong>Connie Schoening has seen wide-spread support from the Superior community in dealing with her illness; she was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder a about decade ago.</strong></p><div><strong> </strong></div>
SUPERIOR – Connie Schoening, a Superior resident for 20 years, was diagnosed with an autoimmune form of Hepatitis in 2004. Her coworkers at the Mineral Community Hospital have since rallied behind her for support as well as helping to raise money for medical fees.
According to Schoening, this form of Hepatitis causes the immune system to stop recognizing friendly cells from bad ones. At the moment, they are attacking her liver, necessitating an eventual transplant.
“I’ve tried other medications, but it’s not curing it,” she said. “The only cure would actually be for the transplant.”
The last few years have been the hardest. She said fatigue has been an issue and her doctor gave her orders to cut back time at work and rest. While the hope is for it to be a long way off, she will also eventually need to quit her job entirely.
She is currently working with a hospital in Seattle to monitor her liver functions and await a compatible donor becoming available. However, the process could take some time due to the scoring system they use to determine priority cases. Due to the complex nature of finding compatible donors, the hospital has prioritized patients based on their immediate need; a patient with an organ close to failing is called before one with a comparatively healthy one.
Schoening has been keeping healthy enough to not be on the high priority list.
She recalled one of the most common things she is asked is when the transplant will happen. However, she said it is very hard to say because of the prioritizing system. It is largely a waiting game at this point.
“It’s shocking to them, I think,” Schoening said of people’s reactions to learning of her illness. “They just don’t known what people are going through.”
The Superior community has been very supportive of Schoening. She has made friends with lots of people in the time she has lived in the area. The county’s residents have rallied to help her with emotional support as well as fundraising efforts in the wake of her diagnosis.
Her family has also been extremely supportive with her children in the area being particularly helpful and her sister coming from out of state to help. Some of her coworkers at MCH have also gone above and beyond in their support, holding bake sales and benefits to raise money so she does not have to worry about her home or her teenage son while in recovery.
“I do appreciate all the support from the town,” Schoening said. “Just, everything everyone’s done … it’s been very good support.”