Community rallies around Greenwood woman after transplant, brain injury

The long and uncertain journey seemed to finally be over.

Miranda Rockey had spent the past 11 years knowing that eventually, she was going to need a kidney transplant. The Old Town Greenwood resident had been diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, a genetic condition that slowly strangled her kidneys.

In December, Rockey received both a kidney and a liver on successive days — potentially the end of a long and painful process.

Then tragedy struck.

“Due to some complications, she developed a blood clot in her airway. She went into cardiac arrest, and that blood clot caused an anoxic brain injury,” said Amy Hyman, a longtime friend of Rockey’s. “That’s what she’s been recovering from ever since.”

As Rockey recovers from the anoxic brain injury stemming from the cardiac arrest, the community is rallying around her. They’ve supported her husband, Joel, and their children, Olivia, 15, and Nolan, 12. Churches and businesses have stepped forward to provide help. Neighbors and friends are available to assist with meals, yard work and more.

On Sunday, people will gather at Vino Villa in Greenwood for a fundraiser to support the Rockey family through the ordeal. Though tickets are sold out to the event, people are still able to donate to the cause online.

“When any kind of a difficult time hits a family, people always want to know what they can do,” said Ellen Miller, a friend and neighbor who is helping with fundraising. “People want to know what they can do and are happy to be asked, happy to put out the effort to feel like they’re doing something positive in this difficult situation.”

According to the National Kidney Foundation, polycystic kidney disease is a genetic condition that causes numerous cysts to grow in the kidneys. These cysts are filled with fluid, and if too many cysts grow or if they get too big, the kidneys can become damaged, reducing kidney function and leading to kidney failure.

About 600,000 Americans have the disease, which is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure.

Rockey was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease 16 years ago, when her oldest daughter Olivia was born. Because it is genetic, she knew it was possible she would develop the disease as well; both her father and brother were diagnosed and have had successful kidney transplants.

A teacher for Perry Township Schools, she monitored the disease, knowing that at some point she’d need a kidney transplant. In early 2023, her doctors decided it was time to start preparing for a transplant. Rockey and her medical team went through the long process of testing, examinations and more to get on the transplant list.

During the process, doctors discovered her liver was also severely damaged. The organ was severely swollen, taking up her entire abdomen.

“She looked like she was about three-months pregnant,” Hyman said.

In light of the discovery, Rockey would need both a liver and a kidney transplant. A living donor was no longer an option; she would have to get her transplant from a deceased donor.

Her time on the list didn’t last long. In December, Rockey received the call that a liver and kidney match had been found. On Dec. 11, she completed her liver transplant at IU Health, and the following day, she had surgery to transplant a new kidney.

“Both went really, really well, at first,” Hyman said.

Then the blood clot in Rockey’s airways caused her to go into cardiac arrest, leading to an anoxic brain injury — a lack of oxygen damaged a significant portion of her brain. The injury was located on the right side of her brain, which affect Rockey’s processing of emotions, sensory information, visual recognition, spatial awareness and motor functions.

Doctors were able to stabilize her, and ever since, she’s been recovering and rehabilitating at a series of medical facilities.

“She doesn’t walk, she doesn’t really stand on her own. She can communicate and talk, but her sight was greatly affected. And she has some difficulty processing things,” Hyman said.

Hyman has known Rockey for more than 20 years and has been with her each step of the way. She’s part of an overwhelming team of supporters who have worked to help the Rockey family as they navigate the up-and-down situation.

The family’s church family at the Table Episcopal Church in Indianapolis has helped collect donations. Neighbors in Old Town Greenwood have rallied around the Rockeys. People come to visit Rockey in the hospital at least twice a day.

“Their family has this incredible network of people around them who have been fabulous,” Hyman said.

As those people rushed to help the Rockeys, they became aware of the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, or COTA. The national nonprofit is dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-related expenses such as medication, transportation, lodging and expenses while patients are out of work.

“On top of the basic issue of having a health care emergency, having to stop working to take care of your loved one, most of our families are experiencing the heaviest burden in terms of their out-of-pocket expenses at the same time their income has decreased,” said Rick Lofgren, president and CEO of COTA. “We cover all of those expenses at a time when the family is going through not just a horrible experience medically, but emotional trauma as well.”

Though their name indicates their work with children, the group also works with individuals of any age who suffer from what are known as “single gene” disorders — caused by a mutation on one gene. Polycystic kidney disease falls within that scope.

Lofgren knew the Rockey family, as they attended the same church. Knowing what they were going through, he directed COTA resources to supporters get going on fundraising.

“In any community, we’ll go in and do a training person to walk them through different fundraising activities, how we can support them. We literally have step-by-step instructions, where we can show them how to be successful, share with them different ideas and show them best practices of what other volunteers have done,” Lofgren said. “Because we’ve been doing it for 38 years, we can give them dozens of ideas.”

Organizers set a goal of raising $50,000. All of those funds go to help the Rockey family.

“Right now, the funds are really helping pay for medical bills that are coming due. Miranda was the primary breadwinner of the home, so it’s been helping them with some expenses,” Hyman said. “Basically, it covers anything that’s needed because of the process.”

Those efforts have coalesced into the event Sunday at Vino Villa. Neighbors in Old Town Greenwood wanted to do something big to help and planned the fundraiser. Rockey’s husband Joel and his band Good Lord, Rose were tapped to perform, and Vino Villa offered its grounds to host the event.

Games and t-shirt sales will raise additional money. Organizers are also planning a dine-to-donate event for September and other events in the coming months.

“A lot of neighbors are concerned about them and have been stepping up. We wanted to hold an event that allowed neighbors to come as well as other parts of the Rockeys’ lives,” Miller said.

The response has been swift; all tickets to the event sold out earlier this week.

But to continue helping the Rockeys, COTA has set up a fundraising page where people can donate online. Every bit helps and adds to the feeling of love directed at the family.

“To be able to come alongside them, to be near them and say, ‘Hey, we’re here with this.’ It’s such a lonely process to go through, so just to be able to say we’re with them 100%, it’s been incredible,” Hyman said.

How to help

Miranda Rockey fundraiser

What: An effort to help Greenwood resident Miranda Rockey and her family with medical costs stemming from her kidney and liver transplant and subsequent brain injury.

Who: The effort is being organized by friends, neighbors and family, with support through the Children’s Organ Transplant Association.

How to donate: An online link can be found at cota.org/cotaformirandastrong

How to keep up to date: Updates on fundraising events can also be found at the COTA for Miranda Strong link. People can also sign up for regular updates on the website.

Next event: A dine-to-donate event will be held from 5-9 p.m. Sept. 7 at Chipotle, 8812 U.S. 31 S., Indianapolis