Michelle Waskowski

LIVING Kidney DONOR NEEDED

Living Kidney Donor Needed

Hello, this is Michelle or “Nonna’. She is my mom; she is my favorite person and I am writing this on her behalf. My mom has been suffering from kidney failure, straddling the line between stage 4 and stage 5 for the last several years and is in need of a new kidney. Her doctors have advised that the best course of treatment to is kidney transplantation and it’s time to seek a living donor.

Since retiring from being a middle school teacher, Nonna really enjoyed filling her time with new activities & old hobbies. She loves camping with her husband, their granddaughter and her dog, lunches with friends and fellow retirees, and shooting the breeze with her brother. She is a favorite playmate for her granddaughter because no one plays pretend better than Nonna. She is devoted to her faith & her church and quite frankly spends so much time there that if she isn’t home my niece assumes she is at church. These are the things she loves. My mom is quirky and funny even when she isn’t trying to be. She is always dancing and you’ll hear her randomly belting out nonsense made up songs. We scream at each other during board games, and we laugh until we pee our pants…. literally. She would also want me to tell you that she is the “peacekeeper” and it is true that she really just strives to make everyone around her happy. She is truly a positive light in this world.

Living with kidney disease has made doing the things she loves very difficult and she is constantly having to give up more and more. This disease has been so draining that even doing the daily things like grocery shopping has become too much of a burden. Teetering between stages 4 & 5 has allowed us to keep her off dialysis for now, which would carry a life expectancy of only 3 years.

Finding a living donor would be a literal life saver. Waiting on a donor from a deceased donor can often take years to find a match. I am hoping to find a living donor in order to benefit my health, improve my quality of life and hopefully prevent me from having to start dialysis. As a donor you have your own individual team dedicated to your care and there is no cost to donors to be evaluated. Kidney donors can live a long healthy life with only one kidney. Donors are screened carefully to ensure it is safe for them to donate and the entire process is private, confidential, and without commitment. I would be grateful if you could help me find a match by getting tested or sharing this information with your own network of friends, family and community.

We sincerely thank you.

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