Anyone who knows Leah ,knows she is one of the most generous, funny & kind hearted people on the planet.   (and I’m not just saying that because she’s my sister and one of my very best friends) She is truly one of a kind.  

Many of you already know Leah’s story and have reached out wanting to help. I want to share this page and a little bit about how she got here.

Leah was born with only one kidney. This is more common than you would think and many people can go their entire life with one perfectly functioning kidney. However, for Leah this is not the case. At a doctors appointment in her early 20’s she found out that she had already developed stage 3 kidney disease. She was made aware that her kidney function would continue to decrease and transplant would be something she would need in her adult lifetime. 

For the past few years her function has decreased steadily. She has been biking , running & hiking as as an outlet for her physical and mental health. 

 Up until about a month ago she had been able to continue to do these activities. She recently found out her function dropped to less than 10% and the symptoms are hitting harder every single day. 

It’s been very hard for her to take a step back from the things she loves , but she is now feeling the effects of her failing kidney. 

Thankfully , she was put on the transplant list last March and she has a perfect match! Surgery will be on June 1st, one week from today. 

Our brother Justin will be “sharing his spare“ to save Leah”s life. We will all be forever grateful for this selfless act. There is no greater gift than the gift of life.  

During the next year , she will be traveling back and forth to Strong Memorial for the transplant and all follow up care. She will need to visit several times a week in the first few weeks (possibly months) after transplant. Although she has health Insurance, it will not cover all the medical bills or the costs of traveling. In addition, she will have costly monthly medications she will be on for the rest of her life. She will need to take a leave of absence from work as well while she recovers. 

Leah has been through a lot the past year and there’s enough stress that comes along with the surgery and her health that I’d like to take at least one stressor away so she can focus on recovery instead of medical bills. 

Please consider donating any amount you are able to. If you are unable to donate , sharing this will be just as appreciated. I know Leah will be so grateful.  We are also asking for prayers for a successful surgery and speedy recovery for both Leah & Justin.   

Leah loves a good laugh so when sharing feel free to add a funny memory. I know reading those will keep her spirits high ❤️

For those who want to follow their journey, there’s a Facebook page dedicated to the transplant. 

You can find it by searching “Leah & Justin’s Kidney Transplant “ 

Thank you for taking the time to read this . Leah means the world to me and so many others, including family, friends & co workers. She has overcome so much and we are all excited for her to start the rest of her life with her new kidney.