Help Priscilla with her fight for a new kidney
Donation protected
Let me tell you a bit about my friend Priscilla.
Priscilla first got sick when she was 16. It began as a sore throat and misdiagnoses by doctors. Within two weeks she was told she would loose both of her kidneys. It turns out she had a kidney disease called IgA Nephropathy, which can strangely present as symptoms similar to an upper respiratory infection (ex: cough, sore throat, cold). Usually the progression of kidney damage is slow; however, for some it is very rapid. This was the case for Priscilla. Her parents were told she needed a kidney transplant and to go on dialysis, otherwise she faced a prognosis of six months to live. Her whole family was tested and the only person with a blood type match was her uncle. And this was a perfect match indeed! She received a kidney transplant from him when she was 17 in 2004.
These were challenging times for Priscilla. She stopped attending school because of her health; however, when she returned it was with a purpose. She went to nursing school because she was so touched by the nurse that took care of her during her transplant. She wanted to help other kids that might be going through something similar so she worked at Children's Hospital for four years and later at UCSD in San Diego.
In 2011 Priscilla married Leonard, a friend since 7th grade. Shortly after she was diagnosed with both Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and Pulmonary Hypertension (a fatal heart and lung disease). They have faced challenges such as hysterectomy as well as many hospital stays for Priscilla over the years.
Through all this Priscilla says that Leonard and her family have been her rock! She feels she could not have gotten luckier with a husband that is always there for her. I can tell you as a former neighbor of Priscilla and Leonard how evident their love is for each other!
That brings us to today....
After what is considered by doctors a "usual lifetime" for a donated kidney, her body has begun rejecting her transplant. She needs a new kidney transplant.
She recently began dialysis; however, her doctors say this will have a severe impact on her heart condition. The dialyses makes her heart weaker and if her heart gets too weak the transplant team can deny her a transplant altogether. This is a "race against time" to get a new kidney for Priscilla.
Please consider helping my friend Priscilla and her husband Leonard as they face these challenges. Here are ways you can help.
1. Share this story. The more people that know about her story the better the chances are of finding a kidney match!
2. Learn about what it means to be a kidney donor: www.ucsdlivingdonor.org
3. Donate financially if you can. This will help cover medical costs.
4. Join me in praying for my friends Priscilla and Leonard as they face this road!
Priscilla first got sick when she was 16. It began as a sore throat and misdiagnoses by doctors. Within two weeks she was told she would loose both of her kidneys. It turns out she had a kidney disease called IgA Nephropathy, which can strangely present as symptoms similar to an upper respiratory infection (ex: cough, sore throat, cold). Usually the progression of kidney damage is slow; however, for some it is very rapid. This was the case for Priscilla. Her parents were told she needed a kidney transplant and to go on dialysis, otherwise she faced a prognosis of six months to live. Her whole family was tested and the only person with a blood type match was her uncle. And this was a perfect match indeed! She received a kidney transplant from him when she was 17 in 2004.
These were challenging times for Priscilla. She stopped attending school because of her health; however, when she returned it was with a purpose. She went to nursing school because she was so touched by the nurse that took care of her during her transplant. She wanted to help other kids that might be going through something similar so she worked at Children's Hospital for four years and later at UCSD in San Diego.
In 2011 Priscilla married Leonard, a friend since 7th grade. Shortly after she was diagnosed with both Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and Pulmonary Hypertension (a fatal heart and lung disease). They have faced challenges such as hysterectomy as well as many hospital stays for Priscilla over the years.
Through all this Priscilla says that Leonard and her family have been her rock! She feels she could not have gotten luckier with a husband that is always there for her. I can tell you as a former neighbor of Priscilla and Leonard how evident their love is for each other!
That brings us to today....
After what is considered by doctors a "usual lifetime" for a donated kidney, her body has begun rejecting her transplant. She needs a new kidney transplant.
She recently began dialysis; however, her doctors say this will have a severe impact on her heart condition. The dialyses makes her heart weaker and if her heart gets too weak the transplant team can deny her a transplant altogether. This is a "race against time" to get a new kidney for Priscilla.
Please consider helping my friend Priscilla and her husband Leonard as they face these challenges. Here are ways you can help.
1. Share this story. The more people that know about her story the better the chances are of finding a kidney match!
2. Learn about what it means to be a kidney donor: www.ucsdlivingdonor.org
3. Donate financially if you can. This will help cover medical costs.
4. Join me in praying for my friends Priscilla and Leonard as they face this road!
Organizer and beneficiary
Kelsey Hamilton
Organizer
Bakersfield, CA
Priscilla Rocha Smith
Beneficiary