My name is Zachary Quick. I am 41 years old and in urgent need of a kidney. Over time, my kidney disease has gotten worse causing my kidneys not to work well enough to keep me alive. This is what I am facing now, and my treatment options are limited to dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.

Getting regular dialysis treatments, three times a week for 3.5 hours at a time is helping my kidneys do their job and keep me alive, but is taking a toll on my quality of life. A transplant would offer me more freedom and the ability to live a longer, healthier, more normal life. I have a new baby girl I want to be able to spend a quality life with.

However, finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. Just ask the 100,000+ people on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney like me. Time is not on our side. Some wait for years; many die while waiting. The average wait time is five years or more for a kidney from a deceased donor. However, there is another option: receiving a kidney from a living donor.

Asking someone to consider donating a kidney to me is difficult, but it greatly improves my chances of getting a transplant. A living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better function.

I would be so grateful if you shared my story.
Thank you.