Help Danny get a Kidney Transplant

Hi, my name is Danny, I am reaching out because I am in need of a kidney transplant, I am 25 years old living with neither of my kidneys, it has been a hard road to get to where we are today and it doesn’t get any easier, my family has been an enormous help with everything throughout the years and my girlfriend has stuck through every hard time with me right by my side.

Back in 2002, I had been diagnosed with a UTI as a child, weeks later after another trip to the ER for the same symptoms we later found out I was in acute kidney failure, with 1 kidney already gone and the other with 10% life left in it. I was sent to All Children’s Hospital in St Pete, where I spent the next handful of years getting surgeries and keeping me healthy and starting the dialysis and transplant process, until 2006 when my mother gave me a transplant. Which the doctors noted that she’d probably be the best match I’d ever find. The next 11 years were the most freeing years of my life, not needing to see the inside of a hospital aside from a small visit here and there, enjoying a “normal” high school experience. Then a few months later after I turned 21, started getting extremely sick and weak I went to the hospital and was informed I needed emergency surgery, the kidney had been gone for a few days and I didn’t have much time left, so ever since then I’ve been on dialysis to stay alive 3 times a week for 4 hours.

I’m one of the most uplifting, happy, make-you-laugh kind of people you’d ever meet but with my monthly SSI check being taken away due to me working trying to make extra money for bills (I don’t know who can live off of $550 a month) with needing dialysis to stay alive and trying to keep a full time job to pay steady incoming bills I can no longer afford to pursue getting a kidney transplant. The time I would need to take off of work, the gas money to drive 2 hours to the doctor’s who did the transplant for checkups 3 times a week post surgery, are just a couple examples of what would be extremely difficult for me to move forward with trying to get a transplant.

I have a list of amazing strangers and friends that are willing to come forward to be tested to try and see if they are a match to give me a kidney, which I am beyond grateful for, but as that list grows so does the need for extra funds, pre-transplant tests average around $85 per person tested and I know some of the people who come forward just don’t have $80 laying around even though they’re being so gracious with what they’re offering. I’d like to build a kidney fund, so I can pay for people who’d like to help me and potentially give me their kidney.

Addition reasons why donating would help:

* Pre-transplant evaluations and testing

* Extensive dental work (required for cardiac clearance)

* Time spent in ICU

* Post-Op physical therapy and rehab

* Anti-rejection medications (madatory for the rest of my life totalling up to $6100/month)

* Supplemental Insurnace - Medicare Part A & B to cover hospital costs and medications

* Lost wages for Donor (out of work up to month) and myself(out of work up to 3 months)

* Numerous (3/wk first month alone) post-op doctors visits and ongoing treatment

Asking for money has never been something I’m good at, I’ve put this off for a while now, but now looking towards the future and not being able to start any careers, or being nervous to start a family because I’m not sure if I could work long enough hours while also being available as a dad, because of how sick dialysis makes me after working all day. I cherish the idea to be able to live the healthiest life I can, and provide for my future family the best I can and this would be such a huge step in the right direction with helping that happen!

Unfortunately as much as I’d love to not burden anyone, I can’t do it all by myself anymore, I just need help. Absolutely anything helps to move us closer to my goal, in not just getting a transplant, but helping my life get back on track, helping me not have so many sick days, helping me have more time to spend with the people I love, helping me to start a family, to travel. People tell me all the time I’m too young to live like this. I used to say “I’d rather it be me than someone else” now I just want it to be neither of us.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my story. Any help is immensely appreciated ❤️

Pls share and get the word out and let’s make this happen!