Madeline's Kidney Transplant
Donation protected
Hello!
For those who do not yet know me, I am Madeline Carroll. I am 30 years old and work as a nurse here in Tucson, AZ. When I was 21 years old I was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system gets all confused and starts to go crazy! It destroys your kidneys, thinking it's doing a great job protecting you from an upper respiratory illness. I was lucky at first to develop a form of the disease which is not too aggressive. It was thought I would never go into kidney failure, and if I did, it would be late in life. Unfortunately, early last year (2014) I developed an aggressive form of the disease and my immune system quickly devoured my kidneys. I then found out I was in End Stage Renal Disease, otherwise known as kidney failure. I waited as long as I could to start dialysis, but I began to feel very ill. I started Peritoneal Dialysis of January this year. Around the same time I was placed on the kidney transplant list.
I have been a nurse for almost 4 years, working full time (12-14hr shifts!) in a Progressive Care/Surgical unit at a local hospital. I do Peritoneal Dialysis all day everyday, and thankfully, unlike most renal failure patients, I have the support and kindness of my co-workers and have been able to continue to work fulltime while doing this. I have taken care of so many people hurting, scared, ill, and stressed. I am hoping for some karma payback. For that, I need your help!
I am hoping to have a transplant soon. I am lucky enough to have two brave and selfless friends that are interested in donating and going through the process of being tested. Part of this fundraising is for them. I want to make sure that if one of them is approved and wants to donate, that they don't miss out on income from being in the hospital, and that they have a place to stay and rest here in Tucson with their families.
For myself, I have had three surgeries for my peritoneal dialysis, and in total, a month and a week off of work this year. I am currently paying medical bills both from last year and this year. I am continuing to make monthly payments, but they total over 4 grand, and it seems like such an endless battle. Lastly, for my transplant I am likely to be out of work and home-ridden for 3-6 months. I also would like my family to be with me during this time and they will need help with airfare and accommodations to be here with me in Tucson.
The financial burden this autoimmune disease has given me is honestly one of the most scary and frustrating aspects of it. I worked so hard for my degree and want to dedicate my life in the service of others, but having so much medical debt really sometimes feels like a slap in the face for my efforts. I know that isn't true, but it feels like that.
Please, if you can, help me raise finances for me and my donor, and help ease this stress so I can focus on healing! Thank you all for the encouragement and love you have shown me. I couldn't not go through this without you!
For those who do not yet know me, I am Madeline Carroll. I am 30 years old and work as a nurse here in Tucson, AZ. When I was 21 years old I was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system gets all confused and starts to go crazy! It destroys your kidneys, thinking it's doing a great job protecting you from an upper respiratory illness. I was lucky at first to develop a form of the disease which is not too aggressive. It was thought I would never go into kidney failure, and if I did, it would be late in life. Unfortunately, early last year (2014) I developed an aggressive form of the disease and my immune system quickly devoured my kidneys. I then found out I was in End Stage Renal Disease, otherwise known as kidney failure. I waited as long as I could to start dialysis, but I began to feel very ill. I started Peritoneal Dialysis of January this year. Around the same time I was placed on the kidney transplant list.
I have been a nurse for almost 4 years, working full time (12-14hr shifts!) in a Progressive Care/Surgical unit at a local hospital. I do Peritoneal Dialysis all day everyday, and thankfully, unlike most renal failure patients, I have the support and kindness of my co-workers and have been able to continue to work fulltime while doing this. I have taken care of so many people hurting, scared, ill, and stressed. I am hoping for some karma payback. For that, I need your help!
I am hoping to have a transplant soon. I am lucky enough to have two brave and selfless friends that are interested in donating and going through the process of being tested. Part of this fundraising is for them. I want to make sure that if one of them is approved and wants to donate, that they don't miss out on income from being in the hospital, and that they have a place to stay and rest here in Tucson with their families.
For myself, I have had three surgeries for my peritoneal dialysis, and in total, a month and a week off of work this year. I am currently paying medical bills both from last year and this year. I am continuing to make monthly payments, but they total over 4 grand, and it seems like such an endless battle. Lastly, for my transplant I am likely to be out of work and home-ridden for 3-6 months. I also would like my family to be with me during this time and they will need help with airfare and accommodations to be here with me in Tucson.
The financial burden this autoimmune disease has given me is honestly one of the most scary and frustrating aspects of it. I worked so hard for my degree and want to dedicate my life in the service of others, but having so much medical debt really sometimes feels like a slap in the face for my efforts. I know that isn't true, but it feels like that.
Please, if you can, help me raise finances for me and my donor, and help ease this stress so I can focus on healing! Thank you all for the encouragement and love you have shown me. I couldn't not go through this without you!
Organizer
Madeline Carroll
Organizer
Tucson, AZ