https://redcap.hitchcock.org/redcap/surveys/index.php?s=Y977DP7ARJ&fbclid=IwY2xjawIaRixleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHba8rqXD4FMP3jkm

Brian's Kidney Transplant Journey, Gilford, NH (2026)

03/04/2026

It has been a while since the last update on Brian’s Kidney Transplant Journey. We are happy to share that Brian has been doing a lot better lately! His recovery post-surgery did take a bit longer than we originally expected. There were ups and downs along the way, and it took a little longer for him to really start feeling more like himself. The good news is that he’s been making steady progress and things have been looking up. Since September, he has been gradually returning to work and is now able to work full time.
He has had a few hiccups with his medications, but with the help of his transplant medical team at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and his primary kidney doctor, Dr. Shaban, MD, he’s been able to manage everything a lot better.
Brian’s body didn’t bounce back how he expected after surgery, and we can tell that his body reacts differently now given all the medications he is still taking. Trying to get his body back into shape has been a bit challenging so he is now working with personal trainer Todd Norseman. Todd has been spending some time with Brian helping him regain some lost muscle.
It has now been nine months since his surgery, and we’re really looking forward to celebrating his first-year anniversary this June. To mark the occasion, we’re joining forces with Kidneys for Kindness, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about saving lives through organ donation. For more information about Kidneys for Kindness, you can visit their website: www.kidneysforkidness.org
We are planning a special community day at our Dairy Queen Store in Laconia to celebrate Brian and show support to others in similar situations. Hoping to help spread the importance of organ donation, we will be donating a portion of our sales from that day to support Kidneys for Kindness. A representative of the organization will be at the event for anyone that would like more information about the wonderful job they do. If you would like to contribute you can also make a donation to Kidneys for Kindness and join us in supporting their mission. We will share more information about this event as we get closer to June!
Brian is incredibly grateful for his second chance and the gift of life he’s been given. It has allowed him to spend more time with his family and he’s looking forward to becoming a grandfather in just a couple of months. This is all possible because of the beautiful decision one person made to become an organ donor; Brian’s kidney came from a deceased donor. We will forever be grateful to the donor and the family.
We are very blessed to be part of this community, and to be able to support this cause through our business. We appreciate everyone’s concerns, prayers, well wishes, and words of encouragement. The amount of support we have seen from the entire community has been unbelievable.

Thank you all,

From the Flanders Family.

06/11/2025

Finding the correct words to express how I feel, how our family feels, is not easy for me. Most of you know English is my second language, so being creative with words is not a talent I have. I can only hope that you understand what I'm trying to say and how grateful I am for each and every one of you.
This last week has been nothing short of a miracle for our family. I keep trying to wrap my head around it, to understand the magnitude of the miracle of life my husband Brian has been given, and all because of the decision one person made, to be an organ donor. We will never be able to find the correct words to thank him/her, and the family.
Brian was able to come home Friday, only a couple of days after surgery. His health started to improve as soon as he got his new kidney. Today he had his first follow-up with his transplant medical team in Dartmouth. It has not been a whole week since his surgery, and according to the results from today's tests, his kidney function is now at 63%, which is a huge improvement from the levels he was at before surgery.
Now we are focusing on keeping him healthy. There is still the risk of his body rejecting his new kidney, his immune system is very fragile. So, we need to keep him isolated for a few months while his medical team helps his body heal and get used to the new kidney, and at the same time, strong enough to be able to go back to his normal or kind of new normal life. I am so thankful for the help of his medical team. We wouldn't be able to keep up with all of his medications. They are making sure we go home with all his medicine organized. As of now, he needs to go see the medical team twice a week for the next month or so.
We want to thank everyone who has reached out to us, sending messages of encouragement and well wishes. We couldn't have done it without your prayers and support. THANK YOU ❤️

06/04/2025

Brian's kidney transplant surgery has resulted in exceptional outcomes, with medical staff noting his remarkable progress, considering the procedure took place less than a day ago.
The medical transplant team is extremely pleased with the surgical outcome. His kidney function is rapidly improving, and the itching sensation in his body has ceased, a condition he has endured for over a year, resulting in profound relief.
We respectfully request prayers on behalf of the donor's family during this challenging time.
We extend our sincerest gratitude to those who volunteered to be tested and to all who offered prayers, support, and encouragement.

06/04/2025

It has been some time since our last update on Brian's Journey to finding a kidney donor. Those who have undergone a similar experience are well aware of the slow, frustrating, and emotionally draining nature of this process. Today, we received the phone call we had been hoping and praying for, informing us that a perfect match for Brian had been found and the medical team was awaiting his arrival at the hospital to prepare him for the transplant. Brian is currently undergoing surgery.
We have no words to express our gratitude to everyone involved, including family, friends, medical team, colleagues, and strangers.
We are still praying for a smooth surgery, a favorable reaction from Brian's body to the new kidney, and a speedy recovery.
Thank you for your prayers and good wishes.

03/17/2025

We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who has shown concern for Brian's health.
Many individuals have inquired about the progress of finding a donor, and it appears that numerous people have completed the form to be considered as a potential donor for Brian. Unfortunately, we do not receive updates from the transplant team due to confidentiality, and they only inform us that they have received a number of forms. Our only updates come from individuals who have contacted us directly, stating that they have either been deemed ineligible for donation or have been asked to undergo additional testing.
We have experienced a couple of false starts regarding potential kidney donations in the past month, which has been emotionally challenging, but seems to be part of the process. Currently, our focus remains on ensuring Brian's vaccinations are up to date, attending scheduled doctor visits, preparing for the dialysis process, and maintaining a healthy diet to preserve his remaining kidney function.
We want to thank everyone for your prayers, offers to help in any way we need and the people we work with for being there ready to help us when we need to make last minute arrangements so we can go to Brian's doctors' appointments.

If donating a kidney to Brian Flanders is something you would like to consider, please click on this link to fill out a quick form. Your info is confidential and goes straight to the Dartmouth transplant team.
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02/24/2025

Life surely has gotten a bit busier since we learned about Brian's Kidney failure. He needs to see his doctors often and get many tests done to be able to always be up to date with everything he needs medically in case we find a donor.
We were told that the process to find a kidney donor would be an emotional rollercoaster and that has been so true in just the first couple of weeks.
Thank you for your support. We know Brian has a long road ahead.
If you have been thinking about sharing our page and haven't had the chance yet, please do. Re-sharing will also be greatly appreciated.
Our family will be forever grateful.

If donating a kidney to Brian Flanders is something you would like to consider, please click on this link to fill out a quick form. Your info is confidential and goes straight to the Dartmouth transplant team.

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02/13/2025

We are deeply moved by the overwhelming love and support we've received since sharing our post about Brian's kidney disease. Your kindness has made us hopeful during this challenging time.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our family, friends, and even those who don't know us personally but have shared our page, reached out, or expressed interest in becoming a potential kidney donor for Brian. Your prayers and support mean the world to us.

We firmly believe in the power of prayer and are optimistic that your efforts will ultimately lead to finding a kidney donor for Brian.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Please keep sharing and spreading the word.

02/10/2025

Dear Family and Friends

As some of you may know, my husband Brian Flanders has kidney disease. This is something we have been following for the last year and a half. His kidney function has aggressively worsened over the past 6 months.

His most recent blood labs over the past month show that his kidney function is down to about 15%, which is considered stage 5 chronic kidney disease. Being at stage 5, Brian’s treatment options at this point are limited to dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. His diagnosis came as a surprise to us all.

Brian grew up in Meredith and our family has been part of the Gilford community for the last 12 years. Those of you who know Brian know he has been an overall healthy person. He has never been a drinker or smoker. Brian has been an active person, helping as a basketball coach for our kids’ teams for several years. We’ve been married for 23 years and some of the things I love most about him is how involved he has been in our kids’ live and his willingness to help people in need.

Brian has been diagnosed with IgAN (IgA nephropathy). Due to the lack of early symptoms, most patients with IgAN already have significant chronic kidney disease (CKD) by the time they are diagnosed. IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger disease, is an autoimmune disease. Along with that, Brian has battled another autoimmune disease called Crohn's disease for the past 16 years. He has been able to manage his Crohn’s through medications, keeping it from affecting his daily life.

IgAN happens when a germ-fighting protein called immunoglobulin A (IgA) builds up in the kidneys. This causes inflammation which, over time, can make it harder for the kidneys to filter waste from the blood.

Getting regular dialysis treatments, usually three times a week for four hours at a time, will help do the job of his kidneys and keep him alive. A transplant would offer him a much better quality of life. A transplant would also give him more time to do what is most important to him; spending time with his family, being around for our kids, seeing them grow and start their own families, being there to help them, becoming a grandfather.

However, finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. There are 100,000+ people like Brian on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney. 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 on the waitlist. However, there is another option: receiving a kidney from a living donor.

Asking a family member or a friend to consider donating a kidney for us is difficult, but it will greatly improve Brian’s chances of getting a transplant. A living kidney donation also typically lasts longer and has better function than a kidney of a deceased donor from the waitlist.

You may not know a lot about living donation – We didn’t know either until this disease affected Brian’s life.

Understandably, some people are afraid about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them. Here’s some basic information about kidney donation:

* You only need one kidney to live a long, healthy life.
* Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.
* The recuperation period is fairly quick, generally two weeks.
* The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by Brian’s insurance. The hospital can give you extensive information on this.
* You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate you as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and benefits and look out for YOUR best interests.

You can also learn more about living donation on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website:
www.kidney.org/livingdonation or by contacting the NKF’s free, confidential helpline at 855.NKF.CARES (855.653.2273) or nkfcares@kidney.org if you want to talk to someone who’s already donated a kidney, NKF can also help.

Thank you for taking the time to read Brian’s story. If donating a kidney to Brian Flanders is something you would like to consider, please click on this link to fill out a quick form. Your info is confidential and goes straight to the Dartmouth transplant team.

https://redcap.hitchcock.org/redcap/surveys/index.php?s=Y977DP7ARJ

There are MANY considerations when trying to match a donor to a recipient, but none of that matters right now! We are just looking for people who are willing to be tested and let the transplant team do what they do best. Unfortunately, it is a numbers game. The more people who get tested, the greater the odds of Brian finding a match. Even if you are not a match for Brian there are other programs, like a kidney swap, that would greatly reduce the time Brian has to wait for a kidney. Anyone that completes the form will be contacted by Brian’s transplant team to help you get the necessary testing.
However, we know living donation may not be right for everyone, and we don’t want anyone to feel pressure to do something they are not comfortable with, but you can still help! Consider being an organ donor after death! Also, help us by sharing Brian’s story with everyone you know. We would like to bring awareness to kidney disease and living donation. We are hopeful our efforts will help Brian receive a kidney sooner and encourage others to consider helping the many people on the waiting list.

Thank you,
Mariluz, Brian, Anthony, Andrew, Vanessa

Brian's Kidney Transplant Journey

03/04/2026

06/11/2025

06/04/2025

06/04/2025

03/17/2025

02/24/2025

02/13/2025

02/10/2025

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