Hello, dear readers. I won’t make a habit of slipping PSAs into the blog feed, but one of my kidney friends is looking for a live kidney donor now. Jenn Smith Trunk is a wife and mom, an engineer, a blogger, a photographer, and a smart, funny, and thoughtful person. Jenn’s kidneys have failed as a result of the same kidney disease I have. I’m fortunate to have several people willing to be tested as donors when my own kidneys fail, but Jenn needs a new kidney now. She’s on the waiting list for a cadaver kidney, but it takes years to reach the top of the list, and dialysis consumes so much time and energy.
Jenn and her daughter Izzy
Jenn outlines what her potential live kidney donors will need to do in this blog post and provides info about who can donate. You can learn more of her story by going to the main page of her FSGS Sucks blog and reading through her posts.
Jenn lives in Minnesota and is listed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, which is where the transplant surgery will take place. I’m not sure if potential donors can undergo testing in their own cities if MN is far away—call the Mayo phone number in the living donor post if you’re interested in pursuing that.
Note that donor information is kept confidential from the recipient. If you get tested and are a perfect match but decide not to donate your kidney after all, Jenn will never be told any reason. No one will put any pressure on you.
Through the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, I know a man who donated a kidney to a female friend 10 or 15 years ago. He is active, healthy, fit, and athletic—doing great with his remaining kidney. He’s a hero for giving his friend her life back.
Please share the link to this post as far and wide as you can! I want to see Jenn restored to good health with a shiny, new kidney. Thanks for listening, for spreading the word, and for considering getting tested as a donor.