Most of us don't think about our kidneys often. They simply do their work and quietly keep us healthy and free to think about life.
Sometimes, though, when the kidneys do fail, they become a source of great concern, not only for the patient but family members as well. Our 38-year-old daughter Alice, who many of you know, needs a kidney transplant owing to a medication she took for many years. She was recently switched to a new medication, but irreversible damage was done.
We are trying to keep her off dialysis by finding a living donor. We and Alice's sister have been rejected as possible donors. Sue is an only child, and Marty's brother, who has offered his kidney, has Parkinson's disease and is in a nursing home in Georgia. Going on the list for a new kidney from a non-living donor can involve years of waiting. So we are reaching out to you, and anyone else you might know, in the hope that you can help us find a living donor for our Alice.
In order to qualify as a living donor, an individual must be physically fit, in good general health and free from HIV, hepatitis, diabetes, cancer, kidney and heart disease. Individuals considered for living donation are usually between 18 and up into their 70s. Gender and race are not a factor in determining a successful match; routine tests are always performed to determine the potential donor's level of physical and mental health and blood type compatibility with the patient awaiting the transplant. The initial screening is done by filling out a form.
Kidney donation, which is done by laparoscopic surgery, requires minimal hospitalization. It does not change lifestyle in any significant way. It does not interfere with a woman's future ability to have children. It does not change the length of the donor's life, nor increase the chance of the donor getting kidney disease in the remaining kidney. (Many people are born with only one kidney and live a completely normal life.)
The decision to donate a kidney is an individual, voluntary act. It is common for a potential donor to experience mixed feelings at first because of the uncertainties involved. After talking about and carefully considering the facts, someone who chooses to become a donor will experience the unparalleled gratification and joy of helping to improve the quality of another person's life, and potentially extending that person's life.
The full cost of care and testing for the potential kidney donor, including all reasonable preparatory, operation and post-operative recovery costs would be covered by Alice's insurance.
Parents always want to buy things for their children. A kidney cannot be bought. It cannot be sold. It must be donated, either by the living or the non-living. Please help us find that person who will offer to donate a kidney for Alice. We can be contacted at (516) 223-3264 for information on how to get the form. A Web site www.kidneyforAlice.com will be coming soon.
