Community rallies around Plymouth street superintendent awaiting liver transplant

There is encouraging news for those following the health journey of Plymouth Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt: he has officially been placed on the National Transplant list and is currently awaiting a new liver.

Marquardt remains hospitalized at the IU Medical Center in Indianapolis, where he will stay until the transplant procedure can take place.

While the Marquardt family has health insurance, the extended medical crisis creates a financial strain. Once Jim exhausts his accrued vacation and comp time, he will transition to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), meaning he will no longer receive his regular weekly paycheck.

Meanwhile, his wife, Dar, who works for Marshall County, is splitting her time between working in Plymouth and traveling back and forth to Indianapolis to be by her husband's side. The mounting costs of travel—exacerbated by gas prices nearing $5 a gallon—along with hotel stays and dining out, are quickly depleting the family's unplanned funds.

To help, the local community is stepping up to show its support. Local resident Wendy Holloway has created and donated a beautiful, handmade "America's 250" lap quilt to be raffled off as a fundraiser for the Marquardt family.

Raffle tickets are currently available for purchase at the Butterfly Boutique, Toni’s Hair Hut, and at the GIANT fm WTCA studios. Tickets are priced at two for $5. The winning ticket will be drawn on Saturday, June 27, during another planned fundraising event dubbed "Bubba’s Birthday Bash."

Organizers say more details regarding the Bubba's Birthday Bash fundraiser will be announced in the coming weeks.