Becky and Matt Bruer have been licensed therapeutic foster parents for the Children’s Home Society of South Dakota for over 5 years. They currently foster 5 children in our home; 4 of the children are siblings. They have become such a part of our lives we consider them our own. They were contacted about the dire situation Elijah was in, and we took him under our care without hesitation.

In order to properly care for Elijah, Becky has had to travel to the only Specialty Hospital in the nation for his disorder, the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital. Her initial 5 week trip to Minneapolis with Elijah gave her the proper training required to perform the daily peritoneal dialysis he needs to survive. Since then Becky has traveled to Minnesota with Elijah monthly for check-ups. In the last four months under our care, Elijah has begun gaining weight and his general health has improved enough that he now qualifies for a kidney transplant. Thankfully he will be placed on the transplant list on the 1st of August 2006.

On August 3rd at 7pm we were contacted with an offer of a kidney, but we had to be in Minn. for the transplant by 6 am on August 4th (12 hours later). The last flight out of Rapid City had already departed, so we had to charter a private plane at an outrageous price, so Matt & Becky charged the flight on their credit card. He had his transplant on the 4th and with a couple of small hickups on the road to recovery, to date all is well and his new kidney is working perfectly.

The costs involved with Elijah’s healthcare and the travel expenses have been astronomical and will greatly increase now that a donor kidney has been transplanted.

Any financial contributions made are tax deductible and will go directly into a fund account and will only be used for his healthcare expenses the fund is handled by Elijah's social worker Dusty Petz and Matt & Becky Bruer, the account is at: