Hey there, my name is Kinga and I am 27. I have had kidney disease since I was 16 years old. I’ve had many surgeries in my life including my first kidney transplant at the age of 21.
My first medical procedure was a kidney biopsy around the time of my 16th birthday. I was then diagnosed with FGSG which stands for Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. At the age of 20, I had my son which took a toll on my body. I had about 12-15% function left when I delivered him for 32 weeks. We spent one month in the NICU before coming home. Six weeks after I got home I started hemodialysis for the first time which was hard with a newborn. I was also breastfeeding at the time so sometimes he would join me at treatment. I did dialysis for just under a year before receiving a kidney.
In 2014 I had my first kidney transplant at the age of 21. That kidney was from a living donor, my mom! Not to mention we are not blood-related because I am adopted so what are the chances.
In 2018 after almost 5 years with my transplanted kidney, it started to fail. I had to start dialysis suddenly and I’ve been doing hemodialysis since. 3 days a week, 4 hours each run. It’s been tough this time around. One line change, serious line infection(sepsis), a lot of changes to my body etc. Not my favourite, but I know it’s my lifeline and without it, I would not be here.
So as I write this, I am sitting in my dialysis chair doing my run. Due to high antibodies and my blood type, It’s most likely I will receive a cadaver kidney. The wait time for a cadaver kidney is 5-7 years at the hospital that is going to do my transplant. I have been able to put my story out there on social media in hopes someone will come forward and we find a donor. In doing so I have had multiple potential living donors come forward!
As I await a second kidney transplant I have my ups and downs but my son is what keeps me going and fighting. I also want to share my story in hopes it can help someone else going through a similar situation. Being through so much at such a young age truly shapes you. It shows you life is so short and you need to live it how you want to!
All this has made me the person I am today.
My passion is to bring more awareness to organ donation. I would not be alive today if it wasn’t for all the people signing their donor cards and becoming an organ donor. As well as all the living donors who want try and help give you a second, third or even fourth chance at life.
So thank you because even if it’s helping one person, that’s now one life someone gets to live. So if you haven’t done so already please sign your donor card and make sure that your families understand your wishes. You never know if it will be you or someone that you love who could need the Gift of Life.