07/28/2021
Dear Friends,
I want to talk to you about my friend Jo Ann. Jo Ann has kidney disease; over time her kidney disease has gotten worse causing her kidneys not to work well enough to keep her alive.
Jo Ann’s current treatment options are limited to dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.
Getting regular dialysis treatments, usually three times a week for four hours at a time will help Jo Ann’s kidneys do their job and keep her alive, but a transplant would offer her more freedom and the ability to live a longer, healthier, more normal life.
However, finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. There are 100,000+ people along with Jo Ann on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney. Time is not on their side. Some wait for many years; many die while waiting.
The average wait time is five years or more for a kidney from a deceased donor. However, there is an option, receiving a kidney from a living donor.
Jo Ann has been asking her family and friends to consider donating a kidney and I am helping her spread the word. Helping to spread the word will greatly improve Jo Ann’s chances of getting a transplant. A living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better function.
You may not know a lot about living donation- I know I didn’t before I started helping Jo Ann. Understandably, some people are afraid about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them. Here is some basic information about kidney donation:
• You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life.
• Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.
• The recuperation period is usually fairly quick, generally two weeks.
• The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by Jo Ann’s insurance. The hospital can give you extensive information on this.
• You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate you as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and benefits and look out for YOUR best interests.
You can also learn more about living donation on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: www.kidney.org/livingdonation or by contacting the NKF’s free, confidential helpline at 855.NKF.CARES (855.653.2273) or [email protected]. If you want to talk to someone who’s already donated a kidney, NKF can also help.
If donating a kidney to Jo Ann is something you would like to consider, you can contact Jo Ann’s transplant center directly at https://columbiasurgery.org/kidney-transplant. You can also contact Jo Ann’s transplant team at 212-305-9935 ask for Mihaela Muttiah and let them know you would like to donate to Josephine A. Nova. Jo Ann can also be contacted via email at: [email protected]
However, I know living donation may not be right for everyone — but you can still help my friend Jo Ann, by please sharing her story with everyone you know.
At the very least we can bring awareness to kidney disease and living donation. I am hopeful with all our efforts together we can help Jo Ann receive a kidney sooner and encourage others to consider helping the many people on the wait list.
Thank you,
Vanessa Tory, PT
We offer more options for treating kidney disease and diabetes, including a world-class kidney transplant surgery program.
