Dear friends and Colleagues of ChemSpec, As most of you already know, my personal family and my ChemSpec family are very much intertwined in many ways. Over the past 29 years of being in the rubber industry, I have developed many friendships, and many that are just beginning, which I already cherish deeply. For this reason, my wife, Kris, and I are reaching-out to you on a very personal matter. On July 8th, my son-in-law, Chris Wagner, who has been working with our team for the past one and a half years, will undergo a liver transplant at Cleveland Clinic, and my daughter, Mollie, will be the live-donor. This is certainly a blessing, but it also creates much anxiety for the family concerning the many potential health risks for both Mollie and Chris. Over the last 11 years, Chris has battled a liver disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (“PSC”); a rather rare autoimmune disease that slowly attacks the bile ducts inside and outside the liver. In patients with PSC, the bile ducts become blocked due to inflammation, which causes lots of scarring, then cirrhosis, and finally, liver failure. Consequently, this requires Chris to receive a liver transplant, so he may continue a long and healthy life with his wife, my daughter Ashley, and their 2 young boys. Amazingly, Mollie is a perfect liver match for Chris, and her decision to undertake such a courageous, generous act of love is awe-inspiring to our family and the local community. Our family is so deeply moved by this unselfish act, we feel compelled to share this story with everyone that we know. We also ask for your thoughts and prayers on July 8th (incidentally my birthday), and the weeks and months to come for a safe and full recovery for both. I will keep you all updated on how they are both doing. Again, I can't thank you enough for your thoughts and prayers. If you’re interested in learning more about how to support the donation of organs for transplant and the live donor process, please visit The National Living Donors Foundation’s website:http://www.livingorgandonors.org. My family is also in the process of forming a local chapter of this non-profit entity (The Ohio Chapter of the National Living Donors Foundation). All the best to you and your families!
Sincerely, Dave