Hi… my name is Alauna. I’m 19, and I’m not always the best at speaking up or asking for help, but I’m trying because things have gotten really hard lately.

I was born with only one working kidney, but I still had a pretty normal childhood until I got really sick at 12. That’s when I found out I had systemic lupus, and it caused my only kidney to fail. Since then, I’ve tried hemodialysis and peritoneal just trying to adjust to everything.

In 2023, I was blessed to get a kidney transplant. I hoped it would finally let me live more like a normal teenager. I had some good moments, but I also had a lot of hospital stays and complications. After only two years, my new kidney failed and now I’m back on hemodialysis again, starting all over. Social Security used to help my mom take care of me, but my benefits were stopped in June 2025 because they said nothing was stopping me from working. But even before that, I was constantly in the hospital for weeks at a time. I wish I could work or go to school. I would love to help out. But right now, my health just won’t let me. My mom has been doing everything she can emotionally, financially, all of it while taking care of me and my siblings on her own without complaining. And once I moved from child to adult healthcare, everything became more complicated and more expensive. I don’t ever want to feel like a burden, but I can see how hard things are getting. That’s why I’m asking for donations… even though asking is hard for me. Anything you’re able to give would help us a lot. It would go toward medical needs, transportation, and daily things thats difficult to keep up with.

Thank you for reading this and for caring. I really appreciate anything you can do.

~Launa~