Thank you for coming to my Caring Bridge page. This is where I will keep friends and family up to date on my Kidney disease and my transplant journey.
I have been living with Type 2 Diabetes for the last 20 years. Earlier in 2019, I started to retain water in my legs and get fatigued more easily. After completing medical testing, I was diagnosed with end stage renal disease. Currently my kidneys are only functioning at 20-30%. My doctors are hopeful that I can find a kidney donor before having to start the long arduous process of kidney dialysis.
My mom, Cathy, passed away almost 5 years ago while waiting for a kidney and heart transplant. She was too young when that happened and it was extremely hard on our family. I am hoping to avoid the hardships she went through while waiting, and to save my wife and son from having to go through this process all over again.
I am searching for a living donor. I am also on the kidney transplant waiting list, but the wait is long (5 plus years). My blood type is A- (You do not need to be an exact match to my blood type to be a potential donor). You can help me fight this in several ways.
1. It is a really big ask, however, if you wish to explore being a living donor, please contact the Barnes Jewish Kidney Transplant center at 314-362-5365, option #4.
2. Please share my story and be an advocate for me to spread the word about me needing a kidney. It has been shown that social media has increased the possibility of living donors coming forward to help others out.
3. You can learn more about living donation on the National Kidney Foundation website at
https://www.kidney.org/transplantation/livingdonors I don’t make these requests lightheartedly. Many of you know that I am a generally private person, who prefers to help others versus asking for help for myself. However, the time has come that I need to ask for assistance so that I can make the most out of my time on this earth with my family.
