With immense gratitude and hope, we are asking you for your help to raise funds to support Spencer Martin (my living kidney donor, aka earth angel) and myself, Jen “Isul” Kim (kidney transplant recipient), to cover our collective kidney transplant recovery needs and costs.

Our kidney transplant surgeries will take place on July 24 at Scripps Organ Transplant Center in San Diego, CA. Your donations will help us cover out-of-pocket transplant costs including:

A little background:

This harrowing health journey began in spring 2021, when I was first diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), brought on by a rare autoimmune disorder that was only very recently identified. I was debilitatingly fatigued - barely able to even walk from room to room, or lift my arms. Later that year, I sustained a life-threatening infection, necrotizing fasciitis, due to a dog bite injury for which I had 7 surgeries to save my arm (and life), a total of 6 weeks of hospitalization, and several months of antibiotics, which catalyzed my CKD into full kidney failure (end-stage renal disease, or ESRD) by summer 2022. Since then, for nearly 3 years, I have been on dialysis every single night. And while I am grateful that daily dialysis is keeping me alive, it has made it very difficult and challenging to live a normal, stable life and stripped me of my former energetic, hard-working, and active self.

Enter my hero and earth angel, Spencer Martin! Spencer and I first met about 11 years ago in Los Angeles, where we lived together in a big house with a few other amazing housemates. Even though he was young (on paper) at the time, I immediately knew there was something special about him, as well as being an “old soul,” wise beyond his years. From there, I witnessed him grow and evolve personally and professionally, and I felt like a proud mama bear, so excited for Spencer and the human he was and constantly striving to be. We created great memories in that house and home together, hosting themed parties, going out on adventures together, and giving a loving first home to my first-ever dog, Daphne the Hottie Rottie. He was one of her favorite “uncles”...

And now, he is my living kidney donor! True to his altruistic and loving nature, Spencer is giving me the gift of life, affording me a real chance to reclaim my life! After a rigorous evaluation process, and a lot of “hurry up and wait,” several scheduling pushes and pulls, and hard work for both of us to stay healthy and stable - we are now here at the momentous next step, the actual transplantation…!

I am so grateful for everyone’s support, and any donation of any amount helps ensure the best possible outcome for our kidney donation and transplant.

If you are unable to donate, we hope you’ll consider sharing and spreading the word.

With gratitude and love,

Jen “Isul” Kim