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(Fremont County, WY) – The “Guns N’ Hoses” fundraiser dodgeball tournament has been set for July 8, the proceeds of which will go to help with medical/cost-of-living expenses for Laiton Ivie.
In addition to the tournament, folks can help reach the $20,000 goal at Laiton’s GoFundMe page, which can be viewed here.
Laiton, son of Fremont County Coroner Erin Ivie, was born with and beat cancer at a young age, which entailed a successful kidney transplant donated by Erin about 18 years ago.
Unfortunately, the transplanted kidney stopped functioning and reached the end of its lifespan, which has led to him becoming dialysis dependent again and unable to continue his work as a welder in Phoenix.
Ivie told County 10 that due to the ensuing medical complications, he suffered a recent scare that left him temporarily unconscious, and with significant swelling on his brain.
Ivie went on to say that the insurance denied his inpatient rehab once he was able to show minor signs of improvement, and that Laiton was discharged from the hospital to his home in Salt Lake, despite still not functioning at full capacity.
Laiton is now in outpatient rehab/dialysis, and tragically, he is not currently a candidate for transplant.
“If you’ve ever met Laiton you’d know that he is gentle and kind, generous and hardworking,” Ivie says in an update on the GoFundMe page. “He doesn’t believe in a handout but is first in line to give a hand up. He’s grown into a remarkable young man that I am so proud of.
“My daughter, Laiton’s sister, Addy is in the process of testing to see if she is a suitable donor. I am humbled by her selflessness as she is only 23 and giving an organ is a big decision,” Ivie said on the GoFundMe page, and later told County 10 that Addy is currently taking care of Laiton while she’s on break from school.
“I am uneasy with the thought of both of my children having major surgery but we are a strong family and I pray that they will be in skilled hands should she be a good match. There are still many hoops to jump through but we know that everything happens for a reason.
“I’d like to humbly ask if we can rally around my wonderful young man to help him out financially while he’s unable to work. As his mother, I am doing all I can to help but things are adding up quickly. A little bit from a lot of folks can really go a long way in helping with rent, keeping groceries in the fridge, and keeping up with mounting medical expenses. I understand that times are tough for most of us so even sharing his link would be very much appreciated.”
Once again, Laiton’s GoFundMe can be viewed here.
The tournament, which will see law enforcement, firefighters and local businesses duke it out on the dodgeball court, is organized by Erin and Andrea Ladd, who was in attendance at the first tournament held for Laiton years ago, and jumped at the chance to continue her support for the Ivie family.
“I had heard of a (football) benefit years ago “Guns N’ Hoses,” wherein the firefighters played the cops in a benefit game,” Ladd told County 10. “At the time I didn’t know that it had benefited Laitons first transplant, when he was young. I worked at the PD and knew a lot in the first responder game. Erin taught me a lot and I don’t know that there’s many people I respect more.
“My sister (an RPD sgt) and I batted around ideas but I didn’t know that we would get many teams of just first responders so I opened it up to businesses also,” Ladd went on to say.
“I’m hoping that we raise Laiton some money, but also that we have a good community supporting event, maybe one that someone else can take next year to help someone else who needs it.”
Ladd added that teams are 6-person, and they must pay an entry fee of at least $100, but are encouraged to donate more. Businesses can either sponsor a team, form a team or help with prizes.
Teams can register at [email protected].
