Background:

Dear Donor:

I am hurting and suffering from a life-threatening illness called Chronic Kidney Disease due to Kidney Failure. I did not cause my Kidney Failure. Twenty years ago I was found to have Stage B-2 rectal cancer and at the time of discovery, I was determined to be diabetic, likely due to the cancer growth (per my oncologist).  No specific cause has been stated but I had surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, along with years of not so good glucose control that probably all contributed to my failing kidneys.

There's no cure for Chronic Kidney Disease, in fact, it is destroying my kidney function as we speak and shortly I will have to begin dialysis to remain alive unless I have help from a living kidney donor. Dialysis is very tough and it would require me to sit in a chair three days a week for hours while I have my blood cleaned via a needle from my arm which sucks the blood out of my body and filters waste through the dialysis machine.

Each treatment takes several hours to receive and it is very intensive and even painful on the body.  It is amazingly frustrating to be nearing dialysis due to no fault of your own. I have a massive change in my diet habits, unexplained tiredness from anemia, constant doctor visits, not to mention frequent blood work, all with the understanding that the only way that I may avoid my life being further inhibited and even derailed is to receive a kidney transplant from a living kidney donor.  

I want to enjoy my family. I have been married for 39 years and have a wonderful wife, 5 wonderful children (4 boys and 1 daughter), soon to have 3 grandchildren (1 boy 5 years old; a grand-daughter that died in childbirth, and expecting the birth of our 3rd grandchild in July 2018).

I know that God brought me through radiation and chemotherapy 20 years ago.  I didn’t like it then and I don’t like Kidney Failure now but to God be the glory. 

The average lifespan of a person receiving dialysis is between five to seven years, but with a transplant, I can live decades longer.  It is not enough to simply be alive.  I want to share my life with my family; use my life to help those in need of a hand and continue to serve my Lord and to concentrate on completing my Master’s Degree  (I’ve completed 7 of 12 required classes). I don't want to spend the rest of my life fighting to just survive in order to have treatments that give me another day to fight;  NO I WANT TO LIVE and I can with your help. Will you please consider being my life-saving donor? 

If you are wondering what becoming my donor means to you, let me tell you that the donation procedure has been performed thousands of times.  It’s a relatively safe procedure that when correctly done leaves the donor with no negative health complications nor, does the living donor’s life expectancy change.  Science shows that the body can function just fine with one healthy kidney.  This is why the donation is medically allowable.  Although only 33 out of every 10,000 living donors require a transplant in their life, the system lets them leap to the top of the transplant list because of their living donor status.  Rest assured your gift will not be in vain.  Please contact me through this page to help me live.

My blood type is A+ and I am listed at San Antonio Methodist Transplant and Specialty Hospital. 

Sincerely, 

Roger Horn

A Note From Roger:

Hello,

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

I am an A blood type and 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,

Roger

What is the Altruistic Living Donor Program?

The Altruistic Living Donor Program matches altruistic (selfless) donors with recipients awaiting transplantation. The transplant team is available to fully evaluate all potential living donors, whether living-related, emotionally-related or altruistic. The Renal and Pancreas Transplant Division is experienced in the evaluation and management of all living donors. 

Click here to learn about how safe Living Kidney Donation really is.

Click here to learn more about the urgent need for more kind-hearted, generous potential Living Kidney Donors like you!

Hear From An Expert:

What can a kidney donor expect?

The donor evaluation consists of lab work, diagnostic imaging and a psychosocial evaluation. It is recommended that the testing take place at Texas Transplant Institute. If the donor resides outside of the San Antonio area, most of the testing can be done at one of our outreach clinics or a local hospital. The donor will be required to visit our transplant center at least once prior to surgery. The entire cost of the evaluation, operation and follow-up care related to the surgery is usually paid by the recipient’s health insurance benefits. Typically, donors return to normal activities within two to six weeks.

Video Testimonial:

“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

Written Testimonial:

“If it can help someone, my goodness yes, do it. What’s the downside?” - Marc (Living Kidney Donor)

Marc is a pragmatic man. A former venture capitalist and the current executive vice president of the Steadman Hawkins Research Foundation, Marc didn’t get where he is today by letting emotion rule the day. To Marc, life is about analyzing the facts and making a decision accordingly. Nothing more. “But, there are times one has to say, ‘What the heck? Go for it,’” he says.

So when his older brother needed a kidney, Marc gave him one, and he did it without a ton of emotion or debate.

“If you see someone standing in front of a dangerous situation, you do something to stop impending disaster,” Marc said matter-of-factly. “It’s what we’re supposed to do.”

Marc’s older brother, Alexander, was diagnosed with kidney disease before he was old enough to walk. Back then, the doctors told Alexander’s parents he probably wouldn’t live to enter kindergarten. But he did. Then the doctors said he wouldn’t live to see his 10th birthday. But he did.

The ominous predictions continued, but his will to live always won out. As medications advanced, Alexander was able to control his disease without dialysis. As children, Alexander’s three brothers probably didn’t know that Alexander’s health—even his ability to live one year longer—was so precarious. “I don’t think that we were ever fully aware of that. We just knew our brother was sick,” Marc recalled.

When Marc was about 12, he remembers telling his brother he would give him a kidney if he ever needed one. Thirty-two years later, in August 1996, Alexander took him up on that offer.

By now Alexander’s kidneys had deteriorated to the point where it was clear he might not survive without a new kidney. Marc immediately asked to be tested to see if he would be a match.

“It was just a no-brainer,” Marc said. Even back then, he didn’t really see it as that big of a deal.

“This is just one of the things I’ve got going on in the next couple of weeks,” Marc recalled thinking. “I’ve got meetings, a new business venture, a new home and other things I’m doing as well.”

Marc was a match—which he always sensed he would be—and the surgery was scheduled. Before the operation, Marc was in great physical health, and his brother obviously wasn’t. For a short time, the surgery flip-flopped that. Now Marc was recovering from major surgery, but Alexander was immediately feeling better because he had a new kidney that was doing its job. But that didn’t last.

About six months after the surgery, Alexander developed complications with one of his medications, and began to have some rejection reactions. The doctors were advising that he get rid of the donated kidney and go on dialysis. He called Marc and asked for his opinion. It was his kidney, after all.

“It’s yours now. You can do what you want with it,” Marc recalled telling his brother. Together they assessed different treatment options that could be done while preserving the donated kidney. Ultimately, Alexander’s condition improved. That was nearly 13 years ago. Today, Alexander is retired and living with his wife in Florida.

Marc said he never really suffered any effects as a result of donating one kidney. An avid bicyclist and skier before and after surgery, he says nothing has changed in his life. Marc doesn’t think too often about his choice to give his brother a kidney. Occasionally, he’s reminded by the scar, but even in retrospect, the decision was simple. And he hopes others will consider doing the same.

Here Is Why Dylan Donated:

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, other wise known as altruistic donors or good samaritans. Watch this video to see the story of one such donor, Dylan Matthews.

Frequently Asked Questions About Living Kidney Donation:

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 at 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?
In general, donating a kidney does not have any long-term effect on health. 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 liver 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, "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 80.9% of the entire organ transplant waiting list is made 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:

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