Living in limbo

When Ron Toews was having digestive problems "all over the place," he ended up in surgery to have his gall bladder removed in July 2006.

Though surgery was successful, the surgeon informed him he had cirrhosis of the liver. More tests would confirm Toews had hepatitis C.

"I think it all started in December 2005 when I got pneumonia," Toews, 51 of Carson City, said. "I really don't know.

"After a while I just accepted it and am dealing with it. But thank God for family."

Toews' hepatitis is treatable. However, his liver and immune system is too weak to handle the Interferon treatments. He also has two hernias.

Because of Toews' health, he was laid off in September and lost his health coverage. His wife, Mikki, can only work part time and has no insurance.

"I'm kind of in a holding pattern with no health insurance," he said. "I've applied for Medicare, but that will take two years to come through.

"The cost of a liver transplant is upward of $1 million, so that's out. We're pretty sure the Medicare will come through because I have a permanent disability. Bloodwork alone costs $500 a month."

To help with expenses, friends have organized a fundraiser to be held Saturday at Decades Bar and Grill. It includes a silent auction, raffle, food and live music. As long as he's feeling good, Toews will be performing, alongside his stepson, Jake, 17.

"All this stuff is kind of strange to me," Toews said of the fundraiser. "I've never depended on anyone.

"I'm pretty overwhelmed by the response with my friends' efforts. It's pretty remarkable."

Decades Bar and Grill is holding the Rock 'n' Roll Hullabaloo fundraiser. It is to help those in the community who are in need. They chose Toews as their first recipient of the benefit.

An account has been set up for Toews at Wells Fargo Bank - 8276415869, or mail to the Ron Toews Family Fund, P.O. Box 1506, Carson City, NV 89702.

There also is a bounty of silent auction items, most of them autographed, including NFL jerseys, footballs, NASCAR helmets and jackets.

"Many of these items have been donated," said Teri Norgrove, who is organizing the fundraiser. "Mikki is my best friend and she and Ron are very dear to the heart.

"I'm doing this because they would do it for me or anyone else. I'd like to do this fundraiser every year to help out other families in years to come."

Norgrove said she has her fingers crossed and is excited for Saturday's fundraiser.

"I'll feel better when we see all those classic cars, the music starts and people are eating," she said.

"These are bad times for everybody. But I'd do this in a heartbeat. Mikki and Ron are that special. And her son, Jake Helget, is donating a dirt bike for the auction. It's a 2000 Yamaha YZ-80. Now that's special."

Warren Engine Company No. 1 is providing the barbecue. Ron and Mikki are members of the volunteer group.

"The idea of this event was obviously agreed upon as a good one," said Sean Nebeker, who is helping with organizing. "Agreeing on how to bring our ideas to life was another matter entirely.

"At the end of the day however, you remember why you are doing it. It's about helping our good friend, Ron."

"It's all very frustrating without health insurance," said Mikki Toews. "Doctors and hospitals test all the time for AIDS, why not for hep C?

"It can take up to 20 years for hepatitis to be known, unless you take a test. And people always think it's a dirty disease, like with intravenous drug users. But one of the most common places to get it is a hospital.

"But, I'm facing the statistics, too. He has only a 30 percent chance of getting a liver."

Mikki and Jake have been tested for hepatitis C. They are both negative.

"Being on the system isn't much fun," Ron added. "We try not to add up our expenses. I do feel fortunate enough to get disability, but that's one-third of what I used to make.

"There's a lot of people out there with a lot of (medical) problems. I'm just the tip of the iceberg."

"If we're not over, our expenses are right at $100,000," Mikki said. "I feel like to get the help we need we have to be sneaky. You feel like you get abandoned."

The only other choice the Toews feel they have is to legally separate and for Ron to move to Walker, Calif., to live with his mother and apply for Medicaid. As homeowners, they do not qualify for Medicaid.

"We just have to keep him stable until the transplant surgery in California," Mikki said. "We're hoping for the surgery to take place at UC Davis or Stanford."

• Contact Rhonda Costa-Landers at rcosta-landers@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.

List of silent auction items

2000 Yamaha YZ-80 dirt bike

Chevy Chase signed golf ball

Set of Junior Golf Clubs with bag

Men's Power2Square Graphite Golf Club set and bag

Signed Kasey Kahne Dodge Dealer uniform jacket

Signed Jim Brown jersey

Signed Tony Stewart helmet

Signed Juan Pablo Montoya framed NASCAR photo

Signed Barry Sanders Oklahoma State jersey

Signed David Cook guitar

Signed Trace Adkins acoustic guitar

Jeff Burton Roush Racing jacket

Lot of 1500 sport cards

Signed Wilson NFL George Blanda football

Signed George Blanda mini helmet

Signed Ed Too Tall Jones boxing glove

Signed Tony Stewart cap

Signed Michael Andretti Ford Racing jacket

Signed Buffalo Bills football

Signed Daryl Lamonica football

Signed VLP Tony Stewart mini helmet

Signed Harry Gant Skoal Bandit racing car

Signed Ronnie Lott 49ers jacket 3 xl

Signed Tim Brown mini helmet

Signed photo Doug Flutie Hail Mary Celebration

Signed Gayle Sayers football

Signed Washington Redskins Joe Theismann leather jacket

Signed Ben Davidson card

Signed Ricky Craven Tide jacket

Dale Earnhardt Jr. black men's jacket

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Racing leather coat

Dale Earnhardt 30th Anniversary jacket

Jeff Hamilton signed golf jacket

Pittsburgh Steelers beach towel

Rick Barry signed basketball

Annika Sorenstam signed golf ball

AJ Hawk Ð Green Bay Packers signed jersey

Wayne Gretzky signed puck

Joe Theismann signed picture

Ray Lewis signed football

Jeff Gordon signed NASCAR jacket