Jermaine's Kidney Fund

Hello, my name is Jermaine Wiley. I’ve been dealing with End Stage Renal Disease for some time. In short, my kidneys are not strong enough, not well enough to keep me alive. My treatment options are as follows: dialysis or a kidney transplant. For several years now, I have had dialysis three times a week for close to four hours each time. It sucks but it keeps me alive and somewhat human. A transplant would allow me the freedom to continue to do the things that I love such as serve as Cubmaster for Cub Scout Pack 70 and serve as a Youth teacher for the children of the Atlanta Church of Christ in Gwinnett (THE GREATEST job EVER!!). A transplant would allow me to spend quality time with my son, my daughter and my loving and supportive wife. Receiving a kidney is not easy. Currently the waitlist is long and I’ve waiting for close to 5 years. I’m one person in a group numbering in the hundreds of thousands. This wait time is for a deceased kidney. There is another option, I can receive a kidney from a living donor. Asking for help, in any form, is difficult. Asking someone to consider donating a kidney to me is well….I would say impossible but here we are. However, my pride can shove it as I want to live, I want to serve and be with the people that I love.

Many of you may not know a lot about living donations. I would encourage you to research organizations like that the National Kidney Foundation or the American Kidney Fund . Giving up a kidney isn’t like opening your wallet for someone in need that you pass in the parking lot or on the bus. I’m not trying to talk you out of it but I’m also not asking you to go into this blind.

You can contact the transplant coordinator at Emory University’s Transplant Center with questions or if you want to donate a kidney. Their number is [phone redacted] or [phone redacted]. You may also call me with questions. I would like to thank you for your time, your friendship and your love through this trying time in my family.