Kidney Donor Needed for Alex Pflipsen

I wake up in the middle of the night and put my hand on Alex’s back to make sure that he is breathing. Ive done this for several years due to past trauma I’ve experienced so it’s nothing new but these days it’s more a reality than a trauma response.

Why you might ask? Well my husband, Alex is living with CKD, chronic kidney disease, and needs a kidney donor to live. He was born with this and at 34 years old, a kidney transplant became our reality. 2020 was not only the year Covid hit but also the year Alex found out he had diabetes and was in Stage 4 kidney failure with ~15-18% kidney function left. 2021 was a year of monitoring his kidneys that remained stable for Alex, consistently at 15-18% function. Then in 2022, his function dropped to 10-13%. Through multiple doctor visits, ct scans, chest X-rays, blood draws and a lifestyle change, Alex was approved YAY for the transplant list in July 2022.

2023 has been the hardest year yet as he is now on the brink of dialysis with less than 10% kidney function left. On Thursday 8/31, he had surgery to insert a PD catheter in his abdomen which will allow him to do dialysis at home but we have to sleep in different rooms He will be hooked up to the dialysis machine for 8+ hours and this will happen every single night until he has his transplant.

In 2006, we both attended Middle Tennessee State University and were introduced through a mutual friend because I was from Nebraska and he was born in Nebraska. We are going on 16 years together, almost 8 married. If you know Alex, you know he is kind, laid back, and a fun loving guy that doesn’t say much. He loves the outdoors, hunting, fishing, camping and being a dog dad to our two golden retrievers, Xela Belle and Arvi. (Xela is Alex spelled backwards ) He really enjoys being told what to do from our cat, Luna, too

One of my favorite things about him is that he supports all my crazy ideas and adventures. We have fostered and found homes for 41 kitties and 11 dogs in the KC community. We have sweet Remi right now who needs her furever home He is an amazing welder and still works 40 hours every week. In the last 3 months, he has started getting really tired throughout the day and spends most nights and weekends asleep.

It’s difficult, actually it’s almost unbearable to watch your husband go from an outgoing, active man to sleeping through the entire weekend, fighting to work and live a “normal” life. The fear is overwhelming. The anxiety of the unknown can be crushing. We’ve learned to not get our hopes up, we’ve learned to ride this emotional rollercoaster, and we’ve learned that God is in this story.

We have an incredible support system that has rallied behind us. The encouragement, prayers, support, and love from our family and friends are what give us the hope that someone will become his hero and donate to him.

I am sharing our story in hopes to find a Living Donor that’s willing to donate a kidney and be an answer to our prayers. Our dream is not only find Alex a kidney but be able to start our family. A Living Donor would be a blessing in our lives in more ways than one!

If you feel it is on your heart to see about becoming a Living Donor, please contact us directly so we can give you more information and connect you with our Living Donor Coordinator. This can be completely anonymous and because you ask it does not in any way require you to move forward. We are happy to talk, answer any questions you may have and walk alongside you on this journey!

If donating is not an option, we appreciate you reading our story and would love for you to SHARE our story. You never know who or where this will end up and you could be the lifeline that saves Alex’s life simply by sharing.

Lastly, if you are the praying kind, please pray for Alex, myself and our family. We have felt the power of prayer and know God works miracles every second! If not, any good vibes, well wishes and good juju, is so appreciated ✨

THANK YOU for making it this far. Thank you for thinking of us. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for considering Living Donation. Thank you for supporting Organ Donation, it truly can save a life.

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