Hello, my name is Erin! I was born with congenital heart disease and Chronic Kidney Disease. I have had 4 open heart surgeries and 2 kidney transplants in my 31 years of life.
My first heart surgery was at just 4 days old and my first kidney transplant was in 2004, when I was 16 years old. That kidney was from a living donor, my mom! ?
In late 2016 my kidney ended up failing and in June of 2017 I started PD dialysis but after almost exactly a year of PD, I was forced to get a CVC catheter and start Hemo-dialysis. I began my very tough journey on hemo-dialysis for 1 1/2 years.
In November of 2019 I received my second kidney transplant through a paired chain donation with 8 people involved, which included my dad! ?
I am currently 8 months post transplant and am doing amazing!! I couldn’t be more grateful to have gone through what I have throughout my life because all these challenges have made me who I am today!
My passion is to bring awareness to organ donation. I would not be alive today if it wasn’t for these amazing people signing up to be an organ donor!