Nori Wentworth has been growing out his beard since his wife Kristyn started dialysis at Kelowna General Hospital.
“My kidneys failed,” Kristyn said. “I had no idea that I was sick. That was four years ago, and then I ended up on dialysis.”
Now the couple is looking to give back to the dialysis unit by cutting off Nori’s 30-month-old beard.
Nori has started a GoFundMe to raise money by committing to trim his beard to different levels depending on how much is raised.
If $5,000 is donated, Nori says the whole thing is coming off.
“I just started (the GoFundMe) a couple days ago and it’s coming along quite nicely,” Nori commented. “I just put it out to personal friends on Facebook and Instagram, but absolutely it’s open to anyone who wants to donate. The more money the better.”
The couple has chosen August 27 as the deadline. They are still working on where the haircut will take place.
Nori has been supporting his wife throughout her dialysis and two kidney transplants, hosting blood and plasma drives and sticking by her side the whole time.
Kristyn received her first kidney thanks to Fred Jarvis, but due to an infection she ended up back on dialysis.
An acquaintance, Brian Hurry, attended one of the blood drives and became Kristyn’s saving grace.
“It was because of that blood drive that she ended up getting her second kidney,” Nori said. “The guy was like ‘I’ll go donate blood’ and then it was ‘this is easy I can go and donate a kidney’.”
“The blood drive drew a lot of awareness to a lot of people for even just giving blood and how important it is to give,” Kristyn commented. “You never know you’re going to need these things until you need these things.”
Kristyn is a little sad to see the beard go, but it’s all for a good cause.
In just a couple days the GoFundMe has already raised $1,700, meaning at least the bottom of the beard is coming off.
Kristyn said even if the funds raised are used to buy a heated chair for the ward it will be everything for patients, as treatment can make individuals quite cold.
The family owned Wentworth Music hosts concerts twice a year with its music students to raise funds for the children’s ward in the hospital.
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