Some of you may know that I have lupus and that it has progressed to end-stage kidney disease. Over time, my kidney disease has progressed, causing my kidneys to no longer have adequate functionality on their own. My options are dialysis treatments, which I currently undergo, or Kidney Transplantation, which I am currently on the list awaiting.

A Transplant would provide me with an opportunity to be restored in health, to live a longer, more normal life without the need for mandatory dialysis. However, finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. Just ask the 100,000+ people on the waiting list. 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. Receiving the valuable gift of transplantation, would allow me to continue to live a full life, enjoying the things that I am most passionate about like Music Ministry, and sharing in rich time with my beloved family & friends.

Reaching out to family and friends to ask for your consideration in being tested for kidney donation is a huge ask, but greatly improves my chances of transplantation. Studies have shown that a living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better functionality compared to that of deceased donors. It is my humble prayer that you will find it in your heart, as members of my support circle, to simply agree to be tested to see if you might be a match. Any further decisions to move forward with actual donation is totally and prayerfully up to your individual choice/discretion, and will not be attached to any pressure either way. I warmly and hugely appreciate the simple act of just being tested.

You might not know a lot about living donation – I know I didn’t before kidney disease affected my life. Understandably, some people are afraid about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them. Here’s a few quick facts: