Type 1 diabetes took its toll on Renee, and for two years, she has been waiting for a kidney transplant. She looks forward to the day when she is finally free from dialysis and able to live her life fully.
Renee has a strong support system around her. Her husband of over 29 years helps her with her home dialysis treatments. Even her sweet kitty, Ridley, takes care of her. He can tell when her blood sugar drops and has even woken her – by tapping her face – to alert her to take her medicine.
Even surrounded by so much love and care, Renee can still understandably get frustrated. Kidney failure, dialysis, and life on the waiting list is both physically and mentally taxing. Renee shares, “It is stressful – waiting and dealing with dialysis – hooked up to a machine for ten hours at a time. It takes away from family time.”
Renee works hard to stay positive about her health. She says, “I tell myself that I am going to get through this. I do not feel sorry for myself. We deal the best we can with what we’ve been given. And I am thankful for the support of my friends and family and an excellent kidney care team.”
Renee encourages people to register their decisions to be a donor urging, “Think about the positive effect it can have on your recipients’ lives!” She also asks that everyone consider living donation saying, “You could be someone’s hero!” She is still seeking for and hoping for her own “kidney hero.” She looks forward to a life with no more hours spent on dialysis but instead more hours spent at the beach, new restaurants, and traveling to new locations.
To learn more about becoming a living kidney donor for a person like Renee, visit our living donation page.
