Kathleen Brown family thankful for support in her time of need

Editor's note: Mary Disher shared her heartwarming story of her sister Kathleen Brown's liver transplant. Brown was a longtime Mineral County Clerk of District Court before her retirement earlier this year.

To all our friends and neighbors in Mineral County and beyond:

Kathleen and I are so very blessed to have a community filled with friends and neighbors who are not only supportive in words, prayers and thoughts, they are supportive with help, assistance and appreciated deeds. The financial gifts we have received from our community has been overwhelming.

Kathleen’s journey began some years ago. She was diagnosed with primary biliary sclerosis of the liver. Her doctors explained the cause is/was unknown. The one thing she was told for certain, was that eventually a liver transplant is in her future.

Kathleen retired Jan. 1, 2021. Originally she had planned to retire the early part of 2020, however due to Covid-19, she delayed her retirement date. She held the elected office of Clerk of District Court for Mineral County from 2006 until she retired.

She will tell you that she was proud to serve her community and is still very humbled for the continued support by voting her into office for these past years.

Her need for a liver transplant came suddenly, beginning in February of this year. Our plans for retirement activities would need to be put on hold for some time. In only a few months, her health declined.

She found herself in Seattle being treated by a team of transplant physicians. In July, the disease almost took her from us.

Kathleen’s sister, Mary, arrived in Seattle, from Florida, the first week of July. It had previously been planned that she would be here when the transplant surgery took place and remain for 8-12 weeks after as one of her caretakers.

The second week in July, as Kathleen’s health began to decline, she remembers talking to Kathleen. Even though Kathleen could not respond, and not knowing if she could even hear her, Mary told her how loved she was, what a fighter she was, and now more than ever, she needed to FIGHT!

She must have listened to her “little” sister. Now, four weeks after that conversation, she is now recuperating from her liver transplant surgery she received on Aug. 7 at Washington University Medical Center in Seattle.

Kathleen was discharged 10 days later. Her team of doctors, nurses and care providers have been phenomenal every step of the way. They worked diligently with Kathleen to bring her to the healthy state she needed to be in for surgery.

We will forever be grateful for the care she is receiving.

A transplant recipient continues to have care from “her team” of doctors for life.

Always knowing the financial aspects of having a transplant surgery, still it was difficult to completely understand what that meant. We found out quickly.

Already two months away from home and one month after surgery, Kathleen, me, Mary and any other caretakers must remain in Seattle for a minimum of three months after surgery. The expenses have been expected, however still overwhelming.

This brings me back to all of you. Our dear friends, family, and neighbors in Mineral County, and beyond. We are and will be forever grateful for the outpouring of emotional, spiritual, and financial support we have received from everyone.

Our gratitude extends to each and every one of Kathleen’s health care providers who have shown care, compassion and expertise.

- Mary Disher, Florida