DONOR | Maricris's Story

Maricris Gamueda

LIVING Kidney DONOR NEEDED

Living Kidney Donor Needed 🫶 #KidneyforKring

My name is Maricris, known to people close to me as Kring or Cris. I am a wife to John and mother to Ezra. I am currently a full-time occupational therapist, working with the elderly and people with disabilities. I love traveling with family and friends in my free time.

In March 2020, I went to see my primary care physician for an annual check-up. I was recommended to do a kidney workup due to abnormal blood and urine results. After hundreds of blood draws, multiple ultrasounds, two kidney biopsies, and anxiety attacks in between, I was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy. I was 30 years old.
IgA nephropathy is a rare genetic and progressive kidney disease in which a body’s immune system protein called IgA deposits in the kidneys. This buildup causes inflammation which, over time, makes it difficult for the kidneys to filter waste, eventually leading to kidney failure. There is no cure for this disease.

I was recommended for a kidney transplant evaluation by my nephrologist; however, with the current wait times on the transplant list, it may take up to five years to find a match from a deceased donor. Because the longevity of my kidneys and the chances of a successful transplant outcome go down over time, I was advised by my doctor to find a living kidney donor instead.
Friends and family close to me know that I am a person who rarely asks for help. Today, I am humbly asking for your help in finding a living kidney donor. I would love to have a chance to continue to do life with my family, to continue to help other people through the work that I do, to continue to explore the world. I would love to have the chance to watch my beautiful daughter grow. I’m fully aware that this is an impossible ask – if all you are able to do right now is share my story in hopes of reaching a bigger audience, that is more than enough and I am forever in your debt. Having a living donor would mean a new lease on life for me.

I am working with the Johns Hopkins Transplant team in Baltimore, Maryland. If being a donor might be an option for you, please feel free to email me at kring.gamueda@gmail.com so we can chat. Even if it’s not, your prayers are always appreciated. Thank you for reading my story. ❤️

START YOUR JOURNEY

Become Maricris Gamueda's Donor

If you are considering being a living donor please use links below to contact Maricris Gamueda's Transplant Center. Begin by completing the donor questionnaire

Fill Out DONOR Questionnaire
(INQUIRES ARE 100% CONFIDENTIAL)

Becoming a Kidney DONOR Find a Transplant Center near you

Johns Hopkins Hospital

1800 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD, 21287

(410) 614-9345 Email Transplant Center

Did you know?

Medical expenses for living organ donors are 100% covered, and inquires from potential donors are 100% confidential! Contact the Transplant Center to learn more about living donation.

More Donor FAQs

Share the Importance of Living Donation

There are currently 120,000 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant in the U.S. Of these, 100,000 await kidney transplants.

The median wait time for a kidney transplant is 3-5 years and can vary depending on health, compatibility, and where you live.

In 2014, 17,107 kidney transplants took place in the U.S. Of these, 11,570 came from deceased donors and 5,537 came from living donors.

Every 14 minutes someone is added to the kidney transplant waitlist.

A kidney from a living donor lasts longer and begins functioning more quickly than a kidney from a deceased donor.

In 1995, kidney donation became minimally invasive with a procedure called laparoscopic nephrectomy, which only requires four small incisions. Hospital stay is typically only 3 days after this operation.

Not blood type compatible with your recipient to be a living donor? Kidney Paired Donation (the “kidney swap” program) enables incompatible candidates with a living donor to receive a kidney from a compatible donor.

Last year, over 700 living donor kidney transplants occurred using Kidney Paired Donation.

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John Michael

Spouse (invited)