10/08/2021
**This is my mom's letter to hopefully get a live donor and explaining his situation. If y'all don't mind keeping us in your prayers we would greatly appreciate it. Stay blessed.**
October 2021
I am writing to you about my husband, Alton Overall. As you may know, Alton’s kidneys no longer function well enough to keep him alive. He is on dialysis as we wait for a kidney transplant.
Alton is an amazing husband and father. He is a servant leader with a compassionate heart for God and His people. We have been married more than 30 years. For the past 24 years, he has lovingly walked along side me through Chronic Migraine Disease. He was the primary caregiver as we raised our now 27-year-old daughter. He has cooked, assisted with homework, cleaned, done laundry and so much more. Due to my illness, he’s essentially been a single parent while Janie was at home.
Alton began dialysis in December 2019. He has been on the kidney transplant list since April 2020. When we started this process in the fall of 2019, I immediately requested to donate my kidney. Sadly, I was eliminated as a candidate due to the medications I take to control my migraine disease. God has blessed us by sending two additional people to offer a kidney, unfortunately they too have been deemed non-candidates.
Alton’s kidneys failed due to genetic high blood pressure. He has been on blood pressure medication since he was 25 years old. Prior to dialysis, Alton took a combination of five different medications throughout the day, attempting to keep his blood pressure steady. Upon starting dialysis, he lost about 35 pounds in less than a month because of fluid that he had been retaining for years due to poor kidney function. He has maintained a steady weight since. Currently his blood pressure is only an issue when it drops too low. In one incident, he passed out and fell, tearing the meniscus in his knee, requiring surgery.
Alton’s schedule now consists of an eight-hour work day and then about 4.5 hours of set-up and dialysis treatment four times per week. He remains active at church and serves the Midland community as the vice-president of the board of CASA of West Texas. We are blessed that he is able to undergo treatment at home, but it is a strenuous schedule. Dialysis leaves him exhausted. The longer he is on dialysis, the side effects become more severe. Dialysis keeps him alive. However, a transplant offers better quality to life and the ability to live a longer, healthier life.
The average wait time is more than five years for a kidney from a deceased donor. Our goal is to find a living donor. A kidney from a living donor typically lasts twice as long as a kidney from a deceased donor.
Here’s some information about kidney donation:
You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life.
Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.
The donor recuperation period is usually quick, generally two weeks.
The cost of your evaluation and surgery is covered by Alton’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 learn more about living donation at these links: Becoming a Living Kidney Donor | Medical City Healthcare or on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: www.kidney.org/livingdonation
Jesus says to “Ask, Seek and Knock” in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 7:7).
I’m asking you to pray to for Alton and his future donor.
I am seeking people that will share this letter with their contact list.
I will persistently knock on every door the Lord offers until my precious husband receives a new kidney.
We trust the Lord has the exact kidney for him. I pray blessings upon each person who receives this letter. I may not know you, but God does and I thank Him for the opportunity to communicate with you!
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Shelly Overall
It is against the law to buy or sell organs, including kidneys. If someone contacts you to buy or sell a kidney, please disregard the request.
