Valentine's dance sends love to kidney patient

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

Charles and Kathy Papson have been Palm Coast residents for 10 years, and during all that time, they have volunteered in the community. So when their friends at the Knights of Columbus heard about their granddaughter Brittany being sick, they wanted to do something to help out.

Brittany Papson, 19, is in kidney failure. She has been hospitalized more than 17 times in the past year due to infections.

“They discovered that she’s had an abnormal kidney her whole life — that it was nonfunctioning,” said Kathy Papson as she sat at a table at the Knights of Columbus Saturday night. A Valentine’s Day centerpiece sat in the center of the table. “So the kidney that was good got infected badly and eventually they took out the kidney in preparation for a transplant.”

But the fight isn’t over yet. Brittany and her parents traveled from their home in Georgia this week to Mayo Clinic, in Jacksonville, which will be Brittany’s transplant center. While there, the Papson family hopes Brittany will be added to the transplant list — she can’t be on the list until she takes this week of physical and psychological tests.

Those hopes are what brought 90 people to the Valentine’s Day-themed dinner dance to benefit Brittany.
“Everyone has been extremely generous and everyone has supported us,” Kathy Papson said. “This is a wonderful community.”

Funds raised from the dance will be donated into a medical trust fund in Brittany’s name.

But the Knights of Columbus, where Kathy is the banquet manager, is not the only organization stepping up. Upon hearing the news of Charles and Kathy’s granddaughter, friends at the VFW, where Kathy is a member of the ladies auxiliary, planned a dinner fundraiser, as well.

The Baked Ziti Dinner fundraiser in Brittany’s honor will be held Sunday, March 2, with doors opening at 5 p.m. and dinner served at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10.

To donate to Brittany Papson
Make checks payable to:
Brittany Papson Transplant Fund
Memo: #44601110
Heritage Bank
150 Altama Connector
Brunswick, Ga. 31525