She inherited Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) from her mom. PKD is a disease where cysts grow on your kidneys, getting large enough to the point that they impair kidney function. Sue is now at the point where complete kidney failure will likely occur within a year. A kidney transplant from a living donor is her best option to have many more years with us. Sadly, the people in her immediate family have been ruled out as candidates. I (her oldest daughter) am a possible candidate, but the transplant physicians will only allow me to donate if I undergo expensive and time-consuming testing to make sure I do not have the disease myself since PKD is genetically inherited. We are not sure she has the time to wait until my testing is complete without having to go on dialysis. Dialysis significantly decreases the success rates of transplant. A potential donor for Sue would be a healthy person with type B, O, or A2 blood. A simple blood test can be performed for people who are interested in donating but unsure of their blood type. Kidney donors lead normal, active lives after donation with no increased risk of health problems. Research performed on kidney donors shows very little negative impact of kidney donation, with some research showing that kidney donors actually live longer! The surgery is generally performed laparoscopically, which is minimally invasive. It generally requires 1-2 nights in the hospital and 2-3 weeks of recovering before returning to normal life activities. My mom is registered with the Beaumont Transplant Program in Royal Oak, Michigan, although potential donors can often be tested at a local hospital if they live far away. The cost of organ donation, including screening, would be covered by Sue’s insurance. My mom is truly my hero. She is incredible. She is a hardworking wife, mother, and nurse. The wife to Sean McManus for over 20 years. The mother of seven children—me, 15-year-old triplet sons, 13-year-old twin sons, and another daughter who is almost 10. A nurse who has touched thousands of lives. She was formerly an oncology nurse and now takes care of hospice patients in their homes. Her family and patients will attest to her compassion, endless patience, love, and her heart of service. As her daughter I can say that she is the kind of mom who will drop anything to talk with me, who loves to just sit with her kids and play games, and who has given so selflessly for us. It is so hard for all of us to watch her lose strength as this disease takes its toll on her health. Please feel free to share Sue’s story with as many people as possible. It is not easy to ask for this kind of help, but we believe that getting this word out in a timely manner is the best way to save my mom’s life. Please also continue to pray for my mom. God has been so good to us and His peace and presence is often felt in this process. Kidney donation is an incredible gift of life. If you feel compelled to find out more information or to even start the testing process, please contact me or the transplant program. You can contact me through Facebook or by email at alyssadevantier@gmail.com. You can contact the transplant program at 248-551-1033. My mom’s transplant coordinator is Joan Rappley. Thank you. Beaumont Transplant Information:
http://www.beaumont.edu/centers-services/multi-organ-transplantation/kidney-transplant/becoming-a-kidney-donor/
More information about PKD:
http://www.pkdcure.org/learn/adpkd
