Hello! Thank you for your consideration and kindness.

My name is Winona, and I am a 33-year-old Texan woman who has lived and worked in Austin since 2013. I have End Stage Renal Disease, which means my kidneys do not function, and the particulars of my overall health makes a kidney transplant extremely challenging for me. It may be years, or perhaps never, before I receive a kidney transplant that would grant me better health and freedom.

I've struggled with my disease since being a 10-year-old child, and to remain alive today, I rely on weekly hemodialysis treatments at a clinic here in Austin every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning.

Fortunately, these costly hours-long treatments are covered by the federal health insurance Medicare; if it didn't, the cost would rack up into the millions every year!

This Medicare health insurance covers the cost of clinic visits throughout the United States, but its coverage doesn't extend beyond the country of the United States of America.

I've always dreamed of traveling outside of the country, but the out-of-pocket costs for visiting clinics and receiving necessary medical treatment to stay alive can be quite expensive outside of the country, varying depending on which part of the world you visit.

Because I love history, art, architecture and nature, I'd love to visit Rome in Italy for a couple of weeks, and my hemodialysis sessions would cost about $300 each visit.

This would be my first adventure outside of the United States, and it would make me very happy.

I humbly and kindly request the good people of the world, gifted perhaps with better health and financial stability, to please consider donating toward my goal of $2000 to help contribute to the cost of hemodialysis treatment sessions overseas.

Life is busy for all of us, and it moves fast! Imagine if 400 people donated $5 each, that would realize my goal! We can pretend you're buying me coffee or a slice of pizza or donuts - in Rome. The spring of 2026 is the goal.

To be able to experience more of this world, aided and supported by the compassion and generosity of my fellow humankind, would inspire me to cherish and appreciate the rich culture and community of our planet's humanity that we share together, all the more.

I'd love to travel and explore so much more than Rome, Italy, but it's a difficult destination to beat for all the things I love best in life: art, history, the pursuit of knowledge and adventure, food and people, architecture, and scenic nature.

I've been working modestly since being 17-years-old, and I've always been an independent, self-reliant, adaptive, creative, and resourceful individual. I love working and enjoying the small pleasures of my life, but I've always wanted to travel the world, and the older I get, and the more complex the particulars of my overall health becomes, a sense of grief bothers me from time to time - for missing out on the joys of learning more about our world through travel, experience and connection. I live comfortably here in Austin, Texas and I'm grateful for my loved ones' support, but my own income is underwhelming. It's difficult for me to ask for and accept help from others.

My gratitude for your kindness of your modest contribution toward helping me realize a lifelong dream would be met with the same energy of the city of Rome in Italy : my gratitude will be Eternal.

Thank you.

P.S. If you're interested in being considered as a live organ donor to give me a kidney, please contact me. There is a also a national SWAP program that will match your kidney to someone who needs it, and in exchange, I will recieve a kidney that is a match for me! This is a nationwide program, and they wouldn't perform the kidney transplant surgery until each candidate is ready. This means 2 kidney donation and 2 kidney reception surgeries would happen simultaneously! My Medicare health insurance would cover all health-related costs for kidney donation for me and my donor, and there are financial aid programs to help those who take off work for recovery. If you donate a kidney, you are given very first priority on the kidney transplant waitlist should you ever need a kidney for yourself, and most people on that priority list recieve a kidney within days! Again, it will be difficult to find a kidney match for me because of particular health factors. Thank you for being brave and kind!

If a kidney is too much to ask for, I'd surely appreciate a $5 donation, haha, but truly, thank you for taking the time to read and share this! I'm grateful for friendship and positive encouragement.