Hi, my name is Steve, I’m 38 years old and need a kidney transplant.
I am currently doing well with home dialysis but the road has not been easy. I learned of an immune disorder called IGA nephropathy just a few years ago when my routine lab work showed some abnormalities. It was progressing slowly at the time but last year my tests showed a steep decline in kidney function. I ended up in the hospital with emergency hemo dialysis and then 6 weeks of in-center treatment 3 times a week. Now that I have been on home treatment for a year I am feeling generally well and getting back to my old routines, working full time as the IT manager for a small residential school for students with mental health issues, working back stage as the technical director for a professional theater company, and even traveling again!
I have never been one to let people see when I am unwell or ask for help and even now it is difficult.
A living donor would be a life saver for me and increase the chances of me not needing to seek a second transplant later in life. I don’t know where I would be without my fantastic fiancé and family, their support has been amazing and I hope to have many more years to show them how much I appreciate everything they have done for me on this journey.