DONOR | Keith's Story

Keith Sims

Teresa Vaccaro Needs A LIVING Kidney DONOR

Please help me find a kidney donor for my mom!

I enjoy playing board games with my mom and helping her decorate for her favorite holiday: Christmas. My mom is extremely nice and always takes care of her family. She loves to help others and enjoys having conversations with her family and friends.

My mom has always enjoyed the beach and ocean/pool, and ever since she had to start dialysis, she has not been able to get into the ocean or pool. My mom also enjoys traveling and visiting friends and family. With dialysis, she has to bring a lot of equipment with her and limits what she can take or brings back with her. Also, she has to schedule shipments of her supplies well in advance and make sure it arrives before she travels. She has to plan her daily routine around her dialysis, so she doesn’t always get to stay out later with family and friends.

When my mom finally is able to receive a kidney, she will be able to enjoy being around family and friends more, going on trips especially the beach to enjoy the ocean and pool. She will be able to do a lot of things without worrying what time of night it is and rush home to do dialysis.

I’m sharing this with you, so hopefully someone will see this or know someone who would be a donor!

START YOUR JOURNEY

Become Teresa Vaccaro's Donor

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

Becoming a Kidney DONOR Find a Transplant Center near you

University of Alabama at Birmingham

619 South 20th Street, Birmingham, AL, 35233

(205) 975-9200 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.

Share Quote Via:

Keith's Patient

Teresa

Kidney DONOR NEEDED

View Story