DONOR | Katina's Story

Katina Johnson

LIVING Kidney DONOR NEEDED

Hi,

My name is Katina and I have been living with chronic kidney disease for 5 years. I developed CKD from taking rejection drugs from my first transplant I received due to me having autoimmune chronic hepatitis which was diagnosed when I was eight. I now have progressed to Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease. I work at Duke University Health System as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. I love saving lives with my profession, I am passionate about helping people, love to socialize and meet people. I also teach Zumba fitness and love it because again my passion is to help people. I also love to travel, love fellowshipping at church, and living life to the fullest. I am looking for a living donor so I can continue to do all the things I am passionate about.

Having Kidney disease has changed my life, I get fatigued more and sometimes its very hard for me to do anything. I sometimes have to cancel going out with friends, missing work, missing my Zumba Fitness classes and training sessions. I want to feel better again with a normal life and continue to help people.

Finding a living donor would mean everything to me, it would mean the world if I got a kidney transplant. I don't know how to put my emotions in words but I would be overwhelmed with joy and thanking God for this beautiful life saving gift.

I am sharing this story to find a living donor, I just want to live and continue to do the things I am passionate about in life.

1Chronicles 28:20
Be strong and courageous and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God is with you.

START YOUR JOURNEY

Become Katina Johnson's Donor

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

Becoming a Kidney DONOR Find a Transplant Center near you

University of North Carolina Hospitals

UNC Medical Center, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514

(984) 974-7568 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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