Looking for a Living Kidney Donor for My Son

Hello, my name is Shawna, and I’m reaching out with a mother’s most urgent plea: we are searching for a living kidney donor to save my son’s life.

Blake's Story

At the age of 14, My son, Blake, was diagnosed with HSP also known as IgA Vasculitis, which is a condition that causes inflammation of the blood vessels. This condition is common in children under 10 and usually goes away. In rare cases it can cause kidney damage. Unfortunately my son is one of those rare cases and now he is at end stage renal failure or Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and is on dialysis everyday. As of May 2025 he was officially placed on the kidney transplant list. While this gives us hope, the wait for a deceased donor can take anywhere from weeks to years. He is now 17 years old and has lost alot of time just being a teenager and playing high school sports (Soccer is his favorite). A living donor could drastically shorten that wait and give him the chance to grow up, to live fully, and to simply be a kid again.

A living kidney donation offers many advantages:

Better long-term outcomes

The ability to schedule the transplant at the right time

A much shorter wait, which means less time on dialysis and fewer complications

If you or someone you know is healthy, generous, and willing to explore the possibility of donating, please reach out. Even just sharing this message could help us find the person who could be Blake’s match and hero.

You can contact me directly, or I can connect you with the transplant team to learn more about the testing process, risks, and support available for donors. I’m more than happy to answer questions — no pressure, just information and hope.

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Why We Also Need Your Help Financially

While I focus on caring for Blake full-time — managing appointments, treatments, and the emotional toll of this fight — I’ve had to step away from working a normal full-time job. With medical bills accumulating it has become harder to keep up with, as well as trying to maintain our normal living expenses, with only being on a limited income. The financial pressure has become overwhelming.

This GoFundMe will help us cover:

Medical Bills that are not covered by insurance. (This is the BIG one)

Basic living expenses (housing, food, utilities)

Medical-related costs (especially after transplant, which will require frequent travel and extended recovery)

Emergency funds for unforeseen health or household challenges

We’ve been blessed to receive $6,000 so far since October 2024 through the kindness of friends and family. This campaign is a push to continue telling Blake’s story, reach new hearts, and gather the support we so deeply need.

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From Our Family to Yours — Thank You

Every donation, every share, every encouraging word keeps us going. Your support not only lifts some of the financial weight but allows me to stay fully present for my son in the fight of his life.

With love and endless gratitude,

Shawna Crosby