BACKGROUND

Dear Donor:

At the moment I am in the fight of my life. I am not at my best right now, I mean how could I be when dealing with this horrible disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD). Lately, I have been thinking about what the future holds and how I can possibly face it in my condition.

Will I prevail over this illness or succumb to it? One thing for certain is that I am not willing to quit fighting for my life. I won’t stop trying to remain alive. There are too many things I yet want to do in my life, so many promises made and plans to carry out. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a disruptive illness, primarily because once the kidneys stop working there are no therapies available to rejuvenate them. The only options are either dialysis or to receive a kidney transplant. Needless to say if given a choice between the two I would easily choose a transplant. Most people would probably choose a transplant for a number of reasons, mostly because of the fact that it offers the most freedom and independence.

With a transplant I would not be tied to an artificial kidney machine to keep me alive. However, to receive a transplant I first must connect to my donor. That's why I set up this campaign. I believe there are people willing to be my altruistic donor once they understand my story. They may have thought about it or may have even taken the steps in the past to be tested for somebody else, but were not a compatible match. Others may have the desire to save the life of someone like me, but they don’t know how to go about doing it.

They may be concerned about financial costs, or the time they might be required to take off work or a host of other different concerns may be preventing them from doing what is in their mind to do. I want to state clearly through this campaign, any obstacle can be overcome if you have the heart to be the life-saving donor I so much need. Together we will bat down every obstacle. If you say you will be my donor we will successfully work through EVERYTHING in our way. If you will just say YES to being my donor. Will you?

The evidence is clear now. The medical and scientific communities have proven that human beings can live their lifespan with just one healthy kidney and to some degree because of these facts there has been an increase in the number of living donors. More lives have been saved because of those generous donors. I hope that you will seriously consider being my donor and giving me a second chance at life. With the time afforded me by your gift-of-life, I will pay forward the richness of the tremendous kindness that you showed me. Thank you for your contemplation of becoming a living kidney donor. I most certainly need your help.

Regards,

Harry Spaine

HARRY’S NOTES:

Hello,

Thank you for expressing interest and showing your support of my need for a living kidney donor. 

I would like you to know that the process of living kidney donation is safe, and if you or someone you know would like to donate, then please send me a message (below). Thanks again!

Regards,

Harry Spaine

Hear From An Expert:

Dr. Velma Scantleburry, Kidney Transplant Surgeon, details key insights to Kidney Donation. She suggests that with a transplant, patients can get back to normal rather than keeping them hooked up to a dialysis machine. The change you see when patients get off of dialysis can be significant. For example, they can change skin color and they have a healthy glow. Most importantly the smiles that you see because they can now do the things that they could not do because they can now eat and enjoy life at a much higher capacity in a way they could not while on dialysis.

Video Testimonial:

It was an ordinary day for a retired businessman until he listened to a podcast and found that the subject resonated with him well beyond anything he could have imagined. The ramification of Ned's decision to make an altruistic donation was initially felt within his immediate family, but ultimately the ripple effects were far reaching and led to personal connections that Ned never could have foreseen.

Video Testimonial II:

“I’m hoping to educate people about the donation process from the donor's perspective. I had so many questions about what my life would look like post donation and it was very difficult to find answers.” - Allyssa Bates

Why You Should Consider Being A Living Kidney Donor:

The kidney transplant wait list has been increasing sharply in the US over the past two decades. Most transplants come from deceased donors — people who elect to donate their organs when they die. But there's another large source of potential kidneys: living donors. Since we have two kidneys, most people can share a kidney with other people. Most living donors give a kidney to someone they know, like a relative or a friend. But there are also non-directed living kidney donors, otherwise known as altruistic donors or good samaritans. Watch this video to see the story of one such donor, Dylan Matthews.

Written Testimonial From, Patricia Comito -  Living Kidney Donor:

"Ok, here's my story. Feel free to share. My sister died of breast cancer. There was nothing anyone could do to help her. It was a blow to my life and my heart. I decided that I would never sit and watch another person die if I could help it. 4 years later, my friend had to make a choice of dialysis or death. I said, “No,” I would donate. The donor only needs to notify a nephrologist (kidney specialist) that they want to donate, and the testing begins. Blood tests, ultrasounds, even a psychological exam. Not everyone passes these tests. It could be something as simple as gestational diabetes, or melanoma, that will keep you from being a donor. 

Once you are cleared the search begins. They match genetics, etc... (Very complicated) blood tests continue on a quarterly basis. If you have a cold, your situation could change and you will need to be cleared again. So, after 6 very long months, my recipient was found. Then the friend of mine had to be matched. A recipient for me was found and then got very sick so he was dropped down the list. Two months later another recipient was found. Surgery was scheduled. My friend received his kidney and 5 days later I went through surgery. My kidney went to someone in Las Vegas. The surgery is done through a scope so there is only one bigger scar and 3 small holes. The bigger scar is below the navel and is where they bring the kidney through. They always take the Left kidney because it has a longer tube. 

Recovery was not so bad, although very uncomfortable for about 4 days. I was back at work within a month. Today I am 6 1/2 years since surgery. My body cannot even tell I had surgery and I'm as healthy as ever. The only thing that is different is that my creatinine is a little high. It always will be but the one kidney that I have has grown in size to help take over for the one gone. I cannot take ibuprofen unless I absolutely have to, otherwise, everything is great. To be called a hero, or an "exceptional human being" is really nice, but really I'm just another person that was willing to help someone in need. My recipient is still going like crazy. Was told by his doctor (Dr. Veale) he would never die from his kidney. They had a perfect match. 

Every once in a while I look at my scar and question myself if I could would I do it again.....and my answer is always, “Yes.” That's the biggest thing, you have to have a positive attitude. A wanting to help. And never a moment of questioning. Not everyone can do it. But it's soooo easy, everyone should! And.....Dr. Veale is fantastic, so is the team at UCLA."

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who can be a donor?
To qualify as a living donor, an individual must be in good health, free from any serious medical problems and between the ages of 21 and 60.

What are the risks involved?
Donating a kidney does not have any long-term effect on health. Donors may experience a slight rise in blood pressure and a small amount of excess protein in the urine following surgery. There is no greater risk of developing kidney failure after donating a kidney than anyone in the general population.

Are there activities that I will not be able to do in the future if I choose to donate a kidney?
Some restrictions do apply following donor surgery, including reducing or eliminating the use of NSAIDS and avoiding any activity that may cause injury to the surgical area.

Who makes the final decision on potential donors?
Based on the evaluation results, the Transplant team (comprised of nephrologists, nurses, social workers, dieticians and other transplant specialists) decides whether or not to proceed with a living donor kidney transplant as the best therapeutic option.

Who pays for the donor's medical expenses?
The recipient's insurance covers all of the donor's evaluation and hospitalization costs; however, it does not cover lost income, transportation costs or personal expenses. The transplant financial advisor reviews the potential donor/recipient procedures and associated costs carefully prior to the evaluation.

How long will I be in the hospital?
Most donors remain in the hospital for two to three days.

What is the recovery process like?
Most kidney donors resume normal activities four to six weeks after surgery. Donors are not able to drive for three to four weeks after discharge and are not permitted to lift heavy objects. You may need assistance with daily living activities during this time.

How long will I be out of work?
Depending on the nature of the work, donors typically return to work between 10 days and two weeks.

What happens if I decide not to become a living kidney donor?
At any point, for any reason, the evaluation process can be stopped. The recipient will remain active on the transplant list and is free to find another potential living donor.

Shocking Stats:

Chief Medical Officer (United Network for Organ Sharing) Dr. David Klassen (Nephrologist) said in a Huffington Post article, "I’ve also witnessed the results of the severe organ shortage in this country. Too often I’ve lost patients because the organ they needed did not come in time. Too many lives cut short. Too many dreams unlived." The following are a few very sobering stats which Chronic Kidney Disease and Dialysis patients should share as well as their loved ones:

90,000 - The number of Dialysis patients that die every year according to Renal and Urology News. 

121,076 - The number of people currently waiting for a lifesaving organ in the United States, as reported by the United Network for Organ Sharing. 

100,269 - The number of patients awaiting a Kidney Transplant specifically. This suggests that approximately 82.8% of the entire organ transplant waiting list is made up of individuals in need of a kidney. It is important to note that living kidney donation is very safe and if found to be a match, a donor would undergo a rigorous health evaluation before donating to ensure good long-term health outcomes.

22 - The number of people who die every single day, waiting for a transplant.

4,500 - The number of Chronic Kidney Disease patients that die every year waiting for a kidney transplant, as noted by the Living Kidney Donor Network.

6 - The number of people added to the transplant wait list every hour, reported by Huffington Post.

0 (zero) - The number of major religions that are against their members donating an organ. All major organized religions in the United States are favorable of organ and tissue donation and most likely consider it an act of charity.

Take A Moment To Learn What A Difference You Could Make:

The Need For Living Kidney Donors

“There are about 90,000 people waiting for kidney transplants in the United States,” says Dr. Gibney. “There are about 14,000 kidney transplants a year. Each year, more people are in need of organs and get added to that list.

So that’s one of the things that makes living donation so important is that there’s a fairly limited supply of organs. If there are friends or family members who can give, that can save lives and really extend people’s lives by years and years.”

Media:

If you would like to share Harry’s story via your publication, then please send a direct message below.