http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/249694/3/Facebook-helps-local-woman-find-kidney
And there couldn't be just one....http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/249790/78/Emilys-Kidney
Thanks KSDK for helping spread the word about Emily's Kidney and living organ donation.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Emily's Story
Emily has been living with kidney disease her whole adult life. This blog is dedicated to raising awarness of organ donation, not only for Emily and the many other thousands of people waiting for organs.
She was born to two loving parents , and raised with her only sister ( that's me Hannah) in Southeast Missouri ( Shout out Chaffee). We first learned something was wrong with Emily's kidneys during a routine physical to play basket in 8th grade. Her doctors in Cape Girardeau told her she may have problems in her 40's and to go about her life - no worries. One thing she did do - had her doctor write her a note to get out of gym class. Pretty smart, huh? Her freshman year of college at SEMO, Emily started feeling sick, her skin itched, she suffered from excrustiating headaches and soon she lost her vision. She went to the ER and found out she was in total kidney failure. She started dialysis immeditatly. A few months later she changed to home dialysis to try to continue college or hold a job. Luckily our mom was a great match and Emily recieved a kidney from her in June of 1997 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
After the transplant, our family became involved with the National Kidney Foundation. Emily took up tennis and even won a bronze medal at the Transplant Games (Olymipics for those who have recieved/donated organs) in 2006. Aftercare for a kidney transplant can be hard for the reciepent. Emily took about 50 pills/day to keep the kidney from rejection. Those pills cause other problems like pseudotumors( fake brain tumors), high blood pressure, and cataracts. But it is definitly worth it to have enough strength and energy to enjoy life again.
Unfortunatly, Emily's transplanted kidney failed in November of 2007. It lasted 10 years which is great for a transplanted kidney. Some kidney reciepents only make it a few years with a transplanted kidney before failure. So Emily is back on dialysis in order to stay alive. She reports to dialysis three days/week for up to four hours each treatment. Emily has to stick to a strict diet that includes counting evey sodium gram, no chocolate or dairy, and the worst part she can only have 32 ounces of liquid a day. Could you imagine? That is only one Big Gulp of water a day. Traveling is almost impossible when you have to report to dialysis center three days/week, but she has done it several times - even going all the way to Germany!
When Emily's kidney failed a second time, my father, aunt, and I immedialty got tested to donate. It looked pretty positive for me to donate to Emily. Surgery was even scheduled for May 2008 even though I am "A Blood type" and Emily is an "O". A week before surgery Emily was immunized. Immunization is standard operating procedure when recieving a different blood type to help with rejection. Unfortunatly the immunization caused Emily to reject my blood and the transplant was called off. Since then 10 friends of Emily and our family have been tested as possible donors and all rejected.
Hence the kidney coalition of "Emily's Kidney". Our hope is to get the word out about Emily and hope that someone will come forward as a donor and be Emily McFarland's perfect match. If you would like to get tested please contact Barnes Jewish Hospital transplant center at 314-362-5365 or 866-867-3627. You can also read about testing and the surgery involved at http://www.barnesjewish.org/kidney-transplant. You may be a potential donor even if you are a different blood type or live in a different state. There is also asisstance, through Barnes & NKF, to help with the financial burdern of being out of work to recover.
Thanks for reading Emily's story
She was born to two loving parents , and raised with her only sister ( that's me Hannah) in Southeast Missouri ( Shout out Chaffee). We first learned something was wrong with Emily's kidneys during a routine physical to play basket in 8th grade. Her doctors in Cape Girardeau told her she may have problems in her 40's and to go about her life - no worries. One thing she did do - had her doctor write her a note to get out of gym class. Pretty smart, huh? Her freshman year of college at SEMO, Emily started feeling sick, her skin itched, she suffered from excrustiating headaches and soon she lost her vision. She went to the ER and found out she was in total kidney failure. She started dialysis immeditatly. A few months later she changed to home dialysis to try to continue college or hold a job. Luckily our mom was a great match and Emily recieved a kidney from her in June of 1997 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
After the transplant, our family became involved with the National Kidney Foundation. Emily took up tennis and even won a bronze medal at the Transplant Games (Olymipics for those who have recieved/donated organs) in 2006. Aftercare for a kidney transplant can be hard for the reciepent. Emily took about 50 pills/day to keep the kidney from rejection. Those pills cause other problems like pseudotumors( fake brain tumors), high blood pressure, and cataracts. But it is definitly worth it to have enough strength and energy to enjoy life again.
Unfortunatly, Emily's transplanted kidney failed in November of 2007. It lasted 10 years which is great for a transplanted kidney. Some kidney reciepents only make it a few years with a transplanted kidney before failure. So Emily is back on dialysis in order to stay alive. She reports to dialysis three days/week for up to four hours each treatment. Emily has to stick to a strict diet that includes counting evey sodium gram, no chocolate or dairy, and the worst part she can only have 32 ounces of liquid a day. Could you imagine? That is only one Big Gulp of water a day. Traveling is almost impossible when you have to report to dialysis center three days/week, but she has done it several times - even going all the way to Germany!
When Emily's kidney failed a second time, my father, aunt, and I immedialty got tested to donate. It looked pretty positive for me to donate to Emily. Surgery was even scheduled for May 2008 even though I am "A Blood type" and Emily is an "O". A week before surgery Emily was immunized. Immunization is standard operating procedure when recieving a different blood type to help with rejection. Unfortunatly the immunization caused Emily to reject my blood and the transplant was called off. Since then 10 friends of Emily and our family have been tested as possible donors and all rejected.
Hence the kidney coalition of "Emily's Kidney". Our hope is to get the word out about Emily and hope that someone will come forward as a donor and be Emily McFarland's perfect match. If you would like to get tested please contact Barnes Jewish Hospital transplant center at 314-362-5365 or 866-867-3627. You can also read about testing and the surgery involved at http://www.barnesjewish.org/kidney-transplant. You may be a potential donor even if you are a different blood type or live in a different state. There is also asisstance, through Barnes & NKF, to help with the financial burdern of being out of work to recover.
Thanks for reading Emily's story
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