Dear Friends,

 

I am in for the fight of my life.

Some of you may know that I have kidney disease. In my thirties, I was diagnosed with interstitial nephritis while I was serving in the US Army.

Interstitial nephritis is a kidney condition characterized by swelling in between the kidney tubules and surrounding structures.  This swelling reduces the kidneys’ ability to filter properly. As a result, waste and extra fluid buildup in the body.

This disorder can cause problems with the heart, brain, lungs, and other organs. 

For more than 4 years I have been living with this disease and in May 2021, I was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure.  My condition is deteriorating very fast, and my kidneys do not work well enough to keep me alive or live a normal life.  I’m only 40 years old, I have many long and beautiful years ahead, but my two failing kidneys will not take me there.

This is what I am facing now, and my treatment options are limited to dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.

Getting regular dialysis treatment is NOT a cure for my kidney disease, but just a temporary solution to keep me alive.  Instead, a kidney transplant is the only solution that would offer me more freedom and the ability to live a longer, healthier and normal life.

Finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy, though.  The average wait time is five years or more for a kidney from a deceased donor.  Time is not on my side.

However, there is another option.  Someone who knows how to see through the eyes of the heart to grant me this gift:  a living kidney donor.

A living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better function. I just need someone  (preferably with O blood, but any other blood type works too), in good health and with a desire to save a life.

The possibility of living donation may not be something you’re familiar with – I know I didn’t know anything about it before kidney disease affected my life.  Understandably, some people are afraid of surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them.

Here are some basic facts about kidney donation:

• You only need one kidney to live a long, healthy 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 my 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.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If donating a kidney to me is something you would like to consider, I would be happy to tell you more and explore the process further.

I am currently listed at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Transplant Program.  If you have the desire to save a life, you can contact me via email kidneys4alex@gmail.com or by phone # 857-258-7634.

Alternatively, you can also contact my transplant center directly at:

MGH kidney transplant program: 877-644-2860
MGH kidney donor program: 617-643-7193
MGH kidney donor program website:  mghlivingdonors.org

They are there to answer your questions and help possible donors make an informed decision.  You can also learn more about living donation on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: www.kidney.org/livingdonation or call 855.NKF.CARES (855.653.2273) or nkfcares@kidney.org.  If you want to talk to someone who’s already donated a kidney, NKF can also help.

Save One Person. Save The World.

Thank you,

Aleksander Pallko