Aanii! Kimarie Manabat is a Bay Mills Indian Community Anishinaabe Kwe, a loving mother of three, grandmother of a beautiful little girl, and a friend to many. Kimarie has been fighting Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) for years and time is critical!

Polycystic Kidney Disease is a genetic disorder that causes uncontrolled growth of cysts in the kidneys. This disease is unbearable to live with, causing extreme fatigue and chronic pain, eventually leading to kidney failure. Typical kidneys are usually the size of a human fist, but someone suffering with PKD can have kidneys grow to the size of a football. Kidney function is monitored by measuring glomerular filtration rate or GFR. Normal kidneys will have a GFR of 90 or higher. Kimarie’s GFR is 6. Kimarie’s kidneys are failing rapidly and is in desperate need of a kidney transplant. This condition has put a tight hold on her life for years, going so far as to participate in pharmaceutical research at Mayo Clinic to try to find a cure. Nothing has worked.

In summer of 2020, a close friend of Kimarie’s posted a desperate plea on Facebook looking for potential donors. After reading comment after comment on the post from people who didn’t qualify or had the wrong blood type, Tiffany Escherich decided to fill out the application. Kimarie needed an O- donor, which is difficult to match. After a week, Tiffany was contacted by Mayo Clinic for a phone interview and was asked to go to Mayo for a few days of testing. After many months of waiting, Tiffany found out that she was a match! After some quick planning, the community surprised Kimarie with the good news on Friday, May 14th!

Kimarie can expect to remain at the hospital for 3-4 weeks while she recovers from surgery and the doctors regulate her anti-rejection medications. Tiffany can expect to be in the hospital for about a week while she recovers, and her body gets used to functioning with one less kidney. Costs are going to pile up with all of the testing, surgeries, medications, hospital stays, transportation, and lodging for family members.  
We want to raise $10,000 to alleviate financial burden on Kimarie and Tiffany, so they can focus on their recovery. Please donate to help out these two amazing women as they go on this journey together. Thank you so much for your continued support.




Normal Kidney vs. PKD Kidney