Henry E Green

LIVING Kidney DONOR NEEDED

" As much as I want to fight the good fight on my own, it’s no longer realistic without the help of others."

Hi, I am Henry, and I am writing because I need a kidney. I have Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), a progressive disease that causes one’s kidneys to lose their function. Over time, my kidney disease has gotten worse, causing my kidneys not to work well enough to keep me alive. This is what I am facing now. My treatment options are limited to dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.

Kidney disease is a difficult condition that affects several bodily systems, and one’s overall quality of life. Now, as I am near the point of renal failure, there is a particular urgency in my quest to find a living kidney donor. My doctor says a living donor is needed because it is best and because the deceased donor kidney transplant waiting list is extremely long.

Getting regular dialysis treatments, usually three times a week for four hours at a time, will help my kidneys do their job and keep me alive. However, a transplant would offer me more freedom and the ability to live a longer, healthier, more normal life. A transplant would also give me more time to do the things I enjoy most, like spending time with loved ones. Finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. Just ask the 100,000+ people on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney like me. Time is not on our side. Some wait for years. Many others die 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. Asking a family member or a friend to consider donating a kidney to me is difficult. But this greatly improves my chances of getting a transplant. A living kidney donation tends to last longer and function better.

You might not know a lot about living donation. I know I did not before kidney disease affected my life. Understandably, some people are afraid the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them. Here is some basic information about kidney donation:

• You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life.
• Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions (cuts).
• The recovery is usually fairly quickly, about two weeks.
• The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by my insurance. The hospital can give you much more information on this.
• You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate you as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and benefits and look out for your best interests.

You can also learn more about living donation on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website at www.kidney.org/livingdonation. You can call the NKF’s free, confidential helpline at 1-855.NKF.CARES (855.653.2273) or email them at nkfcare@kidney.org. If you would like to speak to someone who has already donated a kidney, NKF can also help arrange this.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my story. If donating a kidney is something you would like to consider, I would be happy to tell you more about my story. We could also explore the process of determining if you are a match for me. You may contact my transplant center directly at (410) 614-9345 or go to:https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/transplant/programs/kidney/living_donors/
Reference: Henry E. Green.

I know living donation may not be right for everyone, but you can still help! Consider being an organ donor after death. Also help me by sharing my story with everyone you know. At the very least, I want to bring awareness to kidney disease and living donation. I am hopeful my efforts will help me receive a kidney sooner and encourage others to consider helping the thousands of people on the waiting list.

Thank you,

Henry

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