DONOR | TRESSIE's Story

TRESSIE WALKER

LIVING Kidney DONOR NEEDED

I have kidney failure and I have been on dialysis since 2008. I ended up with kidney failure because I was a hard-working mother raising three kids working two full-time jobs and not taking care of myself properly. I had high blood pressure for two years and didn't know it which ate up my kidneys and I ended up with kidney failure and on dialysis. dialysis is hard I go to dialysis 3 times a week and 3 hours each treatment. It's very time consuming and I stay in and out of the hospital. I was going to school to be an RN couldn't continue my career because I always stay sick. My life goal is to become an RN so that I can help other people. That's who I am and because I'm a dialysis patient and have kidney failure is hard to achieve that goal. But I refuse to give up. With God on my side I have all the faith in him I know he would send me a kidney one day so I wait.

It's hard being on dialysis 3 days a week 3 hours each treatment. It's like having a part time job but at the same time I do appreciate it because it saved my life without that I couldn't live. But at the same time it's still hard. After each treatment your body is so tired and drained the only thing you can do is go home and lay down and sleep for hours. Sometimes you get sick after treatment

I encourage anyone to help anyone that they came by donating a kidney it's really not as bad as people think just think you're saving a life. And if anyone that's in the story would like to look into it just contact John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland and ask for the transplant center.

START YOUR JOURNEY

Become TRESSIE WALKER's Donor

If you are considering being a living donor please use links below to contact TRESSIE WALKER'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.