My name is Carey, and I am asking for your help to save my life.
I am a fun-loving, life living, humor appreciating person, who loves to laugh. At the same time, I am also a licensed clinical social worker, who has been working as a counselor/therapist with trauma survivors and individuals who have experienced a loss, to help them heal, grieve and live their lives to the fullest. I really miss doing that work.
I had a wonderful unrelated living donor kidney transplant in 2011 from a friend and remained healthy for 11 long years. I worked very hard to maintain my transplant’s health and did everything right with the kidney I had, but got unlucky with a serious kidney infection and need a new transplant ASAP. I have never been on dialysis and every step toward it is terrifying for me.
None of my family is able to donate and a few friends were tested but with no luck.
I think anyone who even considers donating a kidney or other organ is remarkable, and a hero in their own lives, as well as a hero for others. Living donor kidney transplants are healthier and last longer. I am honestly not sure I can do this emotional and physical journey again in the 5-10 years a cadaver kidney transplant lasts. It is really painful to be going through this whole process again so soon.
Living donor transplants generally have better outcomes and can be arranged at a time convenient for both parties. No waiting and wondering while my body continues to weaken. More so, this surgery is covered for both the donor and the recipient under my health insurance!
If you have any questions or concerns about the living donation process in any aspect, please sign up for the American Transplant Foundation's Potential Living Donor Database and we can provide you with any resources you may need, including speaking with a living organ donor directly.
I would appreciate you sharing this information with anyone that you know who might be interested or a match.
Thank you so much for your consideration!
Carey