Hello - When you look at that picture of my mother you probably just see a woman. But to our family she’s a mother and our rock. We see an empath, a caregiver, an LPN, and a force to be reckoned with. Let us tell you about what this picture doesn’t show you. You don’t see the chronic kidney disease. You don’t see the dialysis every night. You don’t see the restless legs, the leg cramps, the twitching, the itchiness, the ER visits, and the pain. You may not realize what all your organs do, until one of them fails. We’ve certainly learned now just how much of a beast Chronic Kidney Disease is.
So you may be wondering, what can help? The ultimate goal is to receive a kidney donation. This involves someone else being able to give the gift of a longer life, by donating one of their kidneys to our mother. We have friends and family who have tried to be donors and were not able to. We are now reaching out to a broader base for help. We’re going to be honest, donating a kidney is not an easy task. There is an evaluation and some testing, but is all covered by the recipient’s insurance, not the donor. Here are some facts about living donors:
• Kidney donation is completely safe
• You don’t need both kidneys to stay completely healthy
• Your blood and tissue type must be compatible with the recipient or you can check into a paired donation
• You will have tests, screening, and evaluations to make sure you're a good match
• Your hospital stay is short is and you can return to work fairly quickly
• You can still have a baby if you donate
• You can even talk to someone who’s donated a kidney before
(All information retrieved from the University of Utah Healthcare
She is currently on the national deceased donor waiting list. The average wait time is five years. The only other way to shorten the wait time is for her to get a transplant is from a living donor. Kidneys from living donors can last almost twice as long as kidneys from deceased donors.
**So now we must ask, once again, if you’re willing to be tested to donate, please contact the Kidney Living Donor office through this link and click on the orange button to Become a Living Donor:
OR
***If you have any questions please contact the Kidney Living Donor Center at Cleveland Clinic at [phone redacted] ***
The holidays are approaching quickly, and while we always enjoy receiving air fryers, blankets, or candles, this year the gift of life is wanted. For now, we will continue to offer support, love, and understanding. If you aren’t able to donate, a simple share, like, or comment can get the word out there. We want to give a HUGE thanks to everyone who has helped and supported already. Kidney Disease is something that can be beat through a powerful community effort.
THANK YOU!
#organdonation #DonateLife #giftoflife #diabetes #CKD #chronickidneydisease #kidneytransplant
If you have any concerns or questions, please reach out!