Hey folks, we've helped two people get back to normal lives by finding two successful kidney donors. We did it with your help, and now we need to it again!
Watch the video on this page to meet a woman who is one of nine family members who have had kidneys fail because of a genetic disorder called Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). Lisa is the latest in dire need of a new kidney. Take a look at this image from the National Institutes for Health:
Patients with PKD can lose kidney function and even have issues with their livers as well as high blood pressure. Every night, 7-days a week, Lisa has to do dialysis while she sleeps. The process takes ten hours and it is physically draining.
Lisa is not alone in her journey, but unfortunately her husband John is not a match to be a living donor for his wife.
That, however is not discouraging him from signing up to donate and help someone else.
Lisa was inspired to contact Get Marty after learning about Ryan Neve's recent transplant and our success getting the word out about his need for a transplant.
Related
The only solution for Lisa is a kidney transplant. Now we need your help to spread the word and encourage people to sign up. Here's how to do it:
Visit UPMC Living Donor Registry and fill in the online form:
Select "Kidney" from the organ list; Select "Donation to specific individual," "Yes" she is a patient at UPMC and she is an "Adult." Enter Recipient name: Lisa Tiani. Once you submit the form you can expect someone from UPMC to reach out with next steps.
(UPMC) Who Can Be A Living Donor?
Living donors can be family members, friends, or even a stranger who is willing to help. A patient on the transplant list and their potential living donor don’t even need to have the same blood type.
To be a living donor, you need to be physically and mentally healthy, with no history of illnesses involving any major organs, as this could complicate surgery. To be a living-kidney donor, you need to be between the ages of 18 and 75.
If you have questions you can reach out to the experts at UPMC Transplant Services: 833-398-0285 (Mon-Fri 8a-5p)