Melissa's Miracle Kidney Fund

I am a 37yr old woman struggling with stage 5 kidney disease due to Lupus (SLE). I am also the mother of a young man (14, Zachary) who has his own struggles as well with minor cerebral palsy. Needless to say every day is a struggle in my home, whether it is physical, mental, emotional, financial or all of the above. Here is my story in a nutshell: (also please see updates for even more up to date info)

I was diagnosed with Lupus in August of 2000 but by then it had already attacked and taken 60% of my healthy kidneys. I immedietly started a low dose of chemo treatments for a period of 9 months and thankfully was put in remission. Not knowing at the time that I would forever have kidney issues from that one Lupus attack. My brave mother gave me a kidney in 2004 and it was a perfect match. The first year was amazing, I never felt so alive. Then a doctor wanted to change one of my meds to a fancy new one, even when I begged him not to. Everything was going great but I didn't want to get in trouble or be frowned upon as noncompliant so I did what they thought was best. Unfortunately this caused a blood clot in my brand new kidney and I was hospitlized for 13 days trying to save it. My function went from 100% to 11% in a matter of days and I was terrified. I was walked around the dialysis clinic and talked to about ports and fistulas. I then begged them to send me home to see if anything they did would work. Lucky for me I watched my diet and my function got to 30% but never any higher.

It has been another lucky  but tough 13yrs with her gift of life but I am now hanging on literally by a thread of 7% kidney function. I am not yet on dialysis but I have been told for the last 10yrs it is a huge possibility and when it is time I will know. (I am stubborn, but in a good way, someone told me when I first got sick I could live off 5% function, so that number is stuck in my brain.) I refuse to give up!

Currently I am looking for help with medical bills as I am seeking help from the Mayo clinic in Minnesota and they only accept 80% of my insurance. I currently bartend part-time at the airport for a little money and socialization so I don't lose my mind at home realizing just how sick I am.  I love it and prefer to try and work as long as I can because I KNOW that someday I will find a match and need surgery or heaven forbid be too sick to get out of bed and unable to work anymore.

I am on the kidney list at Mercy Transplant in Des Moines, Iowa and my antibodies are 99% meaning I have had so many blood transfusions, iron infusions and other foreign things put into my body that I have built up tons of fighters. So many that I actually match almost all of the most common antibodies that they look for when transplanting. (you have to have different ones than your match when looking for a kidney). So I am trying very hard to search for that "needle in a haystack" so whether you are able to donate, share this link or maybe even call to get tested I greatly appreciate it.

The number to get tested (I need an O kidney) is [phone redacted] just mention you want tested for "Melissa Ross" and they will direct you to the correct coordinator.

Thank you for your time. If you have any questions or want to know more about me please feel free to ask. My story is MUCH longer than this. Have a great day and Thank you! (I will continue to post updates in the update section.)