Benefit planned to cover Sedgewickville, Mo., man's pancreas transplant

Phillip Luttrell has been working for weeks on a benefit for a cousin, Wess Holston, who needs a pancreas transplant.

"But I haven't been doing as much as some other people, like his mother and my sister-in-law, Penny Luttrell," said Luttrell, who lives in Scott City. He works at B&J Delivery in Cape Girardeau, and along with his wife, Denise, found space for a chili supper starting at 5 p.m. Friday at their church, First Assembly of God Church, 312 Dearborn St. in Scott City.

Luttrell said it's the second of a series of fundraisers being planned.

"We're a pretty close family. We've been meeting every week on this. We had containers out at shops, and they are talking about doing a chicken-and-dumpling dinner at my mom's church," he said. Details are still being worked out on that meal.

Wess Holston, 29, of Sedgewickville, Mo., has an extreme form of Type 1 diabetes. The insulin pump that has helped control his blood sugar for eight years is fighting a losing battle, according to Vickie Holston, his mother.

She said her son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes -- which means the pancreas cannot make insulin -- just before he turned 17, ending his hopes of joining the U.S. Marines. Insulin acts as a key to unlock cells so they can use sugar, which acts as fuel for the body. Unregulated sugar damages nerve endings and can cause seizures (which Vickie Holston said her son already experiences), the loss of limbs, coma and death.

Wess Holston recently went from being a painter and a drywall installer to being fully disabled, his mother said. He cannot be left alone because his sugar levels veer widely, causing seizures.

Vickie Holston, who lives in Patton, Mo., said diabetes runs in her family, but it is typically Type 2, which means the pancreas produces some insulin but the body cannot use it efficiently.

The family hopes to raise $100,000 of the $300,000 required to pay for the operation, which would be done at the Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

She said Wess is the youngest of her five children; her daughter, Dea Glenn, found the National Foundation for Transplants and made arrangements for their help. NFT is a not-for-profit organization that helps patients raise funds to pay for transplant-related expenses, according to the organization's website. The NFT spokeswoman was not available for comment.

Phillip Luttrell said the goal is to raise as much money as quickly as possible to be ready when an organ becomes available and the surgery is a reality.

Until then, "We're going to try and trust God. That's all you can do."

Friday's dinner costs $6 and includes chili, sandwiches and beverages, with desserts available for an additional donation.

For details, call Vickie Holston at 573-866-3086.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

388-3646

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