Some of you may know that I have kidney disease. Over time, my kidney disease has gotten worse causing my kidneys not to work well enough to keep me alive. This is what I am facing now, and my treatment options are limited to dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.
Getting regular dialysis treatments, usually three times a week for four hours at a time, will help my kidneys do their job and keep me alive, but a transplant would offer me more freedom and the ability to live a longer, healthier, more normal life. A transplant would also give me more time to do the one thing I enjoy most, raising my 11 year old son.
Being an active and present Mom isn't something I can do efficiently right now.
Finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. Just ask the 100,000+ people on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney like me. Some wait for years; many die while waiting. The average wait time is five years or more for a kidney from a deceased donor. However, there is ANOTHER option: receiving a kidney from a living donor.
Asking people to consider donating a kidney isn't easy, but it greatly improves my chances of getting a transplant.
You might not know a lot about living donation. Understandably, some people are afraid about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them. Here’s some basic information about kidney donation:
You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life.
Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.
The recuperation period is usually fairly quick, generally one week.
The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by my insurance. You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate you as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and benefits. You can also learn more about living donation on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: www.kidney.org/livingdonation
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If donating a kidney to me is something you would like to consider, I would be happy to tell you more about my story and explore the process of determining if you are a match for me. You can email me at szopfi@gmail.com or by phone 502-807-2399 if interested or if you have questions.
If you don't think living donation is right for you, please share my story and contact info with everyone you know and on social media!
At the very least I want to bring awareness to kidney disease and living donation. I am hopeful my efforts will help me receive a kidney sooner and encourage others to give the gift of a lifetime!
Love,
Sarah
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