Bob Neary Needs a Kidney

Over the past few years, Bob has had some health challenges, and his medical team is recommending a kidney transplant as his best chance to regain his health and quality of life. Primarily, they filter waste products and excess substances, such as water, electrolytes, and toxins, from the blood to form urine. They also filter the blood, regulate blood pressure, and produce red blood cells, among other things. When the kidneys stop working, it causes many problems in the body and can eventually lead to death. Bob has been on dialysis for four hours at a time, three times per week since April 2023. A dialysis machine does the work that his kidneys should do, but it leaves him feeling fatigued and it isn’t a long-term solution. There are two ways Bob can get a kidney: from a deceased donor or from a living donor. Many of you may not know about living kidney donation. Basically, we each have two kidneys, but we only need one to live. You can donate a kidney and still live a full, long, healthy life with only one kidney – most people never even notice! Bob has been on the waiting list with Upstate University Transplant Center to receive a kidney from a deceased donor since March 2023, but there are close to 90,000 people in the U.S. waiting for a kidney, and there are not enough to go around. It is likely that he will be waiting for at least five years and there is no guarantee that a matching donor organ will ever become available. Unfortunately, both Bob’s wife Kathy and daughter Rebecca also have kidney issues that do not allow them to be donors. A living kidney donor is a much better option for several reasons. First of all, it would enable Bob to get a transplant much sooner. Second, living donor kidneys tend to last twice as long as deceased donor kidneys, so a transplant with a living donor kidney might last him years longer than one with a deceased donor kidney. We are sharing all this with you because Bob is now looking for a living kidney donor. We want to stress that you should not feel obligated in any way to donate a kidney, and neither Bob nor anyone in the family will try to convince you to become a donor. We know it is a big ask and we would never want you to feel pressured or uncomfortable. Honestly, having your love and support at this time is more than enough, and we are very grateful for it. Of course, if you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about the living kidney donation process or exploring the possibility of becoming a donor, we would be happy to discuss it openly and answer any questions you may have. We understand that this is a significant decision, and we want everyone to make the choice that feels right for them. If you want to learn more about the process, please visit https://www.upstate.edu/transplant/organ-donation/living-donor.php

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