The kidney donation and transplant community is made up of people who have often connected in life-and-death circumstances. Barb Lundberg of Lebanon, who had previously received a kidney, met Dorlee Martin of Terre Hill, a kidney donor, a few years ago. Since then, both have gotten to know Pham Nghia, better known as simply Lam, a dialysis patient living in Vietnam.

Lam is 29 now. A single father raising a young daughter, he first learned he has polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in his early 20s. PKD is hereditary. Lam's mother died of the disease, and his daughter may have inherited it. Lam has been on dialysis for eight years. Three times each week, he takes a bus to a hospital to undergo dialysis. Each treatment costs about $20 - an astronomical amount in a country like Vietnam. Lam had hoped to receive a donated kidney from his father, but that did not work out, so he is now on the list to receive one from a deceased donor. The odds of that are not high, but in Vietnam a donated kidney by a living person must come from someone who lives in the same household, and Lam has only his daughter.

Lundberg and Martin connected with Stacey Jean Inion, who has missionary and fundraising experience, and together they have been raising funds to help Lam in a variety of ways. Some funds go toward testing that is necessary to help him receive a kidney, and other money is used for dialysis treatments and food. "He's so poor he eats (prepackaged foods), which are loaded with salt and the worst thing for him," said Martin, who, along with Lundberg and Inion, organized a sub sandwich sale to cover several months of Lam's expenses.

The trio would like to be able to help Lam send his daughter to school. Lam grew up in poverty, so he never went to school. Before he became ill, he worked as a truck driver. "His daughter was in kindergarten, which is $50 a month," said Martin, who noted the children receive three meals a day in school. "Lam had to pull her from kindergarten (because he could no longer afford it)."

To help support Lam and his daughter, Martin, Lundberg, and Inion are setting up a crowdsourcing page at http://www.gofundme.com/f/give-lam-hope-and-a-future. The page will provide information on ways to support Lam's dialysis, food, or education for his daughter. Those who are interested in helping may visit the link to donate or ask questions.

"(Lam) continually says, 'I can't believe that all of you care for me,'" reported Martin. "He said, 'You guys have supported me better than my family has,'" she added, noting that Lam's supporters share their Christian faith with him when they can.

"God connected us all for a reason," noted Lundberg.