March is National Kidney Month
Every day 12 people die in America waiting for a kidney. As a care manager, registered nurse and organ donor, Caring With Grace’s Kristina Skipper knows this statistic all too well.
Over 17 years ago, Kristina’s brother, Paul, suddenly became ill. When Paul was diagnosed with kidney failure, Kristina and her family knew time was limited and waiting for a kidney donor was never a conceivable option. “I remember that he got sick so incredible fast,” says Kristina. “I never thought twice about donating my kidney to my brother.” Because of Kristina, Paul received a life-saving gift of a healthy kidney.
Kristina is what’s considered to be a living kidney donor. Living donations take place when a living person donates an organ or part of an organ to someone in need of a transplant. The donor is typically a close family member, such as a parent, child, brother or sister. A donor can also be a more distant family member, spouse, friend or co-worker. If you would like to learn more about a living kidney donation, visit the Living Kidney Donation Network at http://www.lkdn.org/.
While Kristina’s brother was extraordinarily fortunate, many people in need of transplants cannot get them because of a shortage of donations. In June of 2018, a dear friend and current client, Leslie, was added to the organ donor list. Leslie was diagnosed with kidney disease back in 2015 and is one of the 101,000 Americans currently on the waiting list for a lifesaving kidney transplant. “We’ve really been praying hard for Leslie in hopes that she’ll be receiving positive news soon,” says Caring With Grace Care Manager and Registered Nurse, Barbara Lechtenberg. “The reality is, only 17,000 people receive a donation of a kidney each year and many people will wait more than 5 years.”
March is National Kidney Month. If you would like to donate to Leslie, please contact barbara@caringwithgrace.com and Barbara will personally connect you with a transplant coordinator. You may also help one of the thousands of others currently waiting by registering to be an organ donor at https://registerme.org/.
Organ and tissue donations help others by giving them a second chance at life. For more information on organ donation, please visit https://www.organdonor.gov/.
To learn more about individualized care for your loved one, please contact us at Caring With Grace to speak with one of our compassionate experts in family caregiving.
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