April 5, 2023

Dear Family, Friends, and Acquaintances, 

Some of you may know that I have Polycystic Kidney Disease. I was diagnosed at the age of 24, with the symptoms well-managed with medication. At this time, the disease has progressed to the point where my kidneys do not work well enough to keep me alive, and my treatment options are limited to dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.

Getting regular daily dialysis treatments, will help my kidneys do their job and keep me alive, but a transplant would offer me more freedom and the ability to live a longer, healthier, more normal life. A transplant would also give me more time to do the fun things I enjoy most, like spending time with my family and friends.

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

Asking a family member or a friend to consider donating a kidney to me is difficult, but it greatly improves my chances of getting a transplant. A living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better function. 

You might not know a lot about living donation – I know I didn’t before kidney disease affected my 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 healthy, long life.

• Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.

• The recuperation period is usually fairly quick, generally two weeks.

• The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by my 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.

I know living donation may not be right for everyone — but you can still help! Consider being an organ donor after death and also, help me by sharing my story with everyone you know. At the very least I want to bring awareness to kidney disease and living donation. I am hopeful my efforts will help me receive a kidney sooner and encourage others to consider helping the many people on the wait list.

A little more about Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD): It is genetic and therefore runs in my family. My father lived with this disease until his passing in 2010. One of my sisters, two of my uncles, a few of my cousins, and a good friend are also living with this disease. It is starting to surface in the next generation. I have witnessed firsthand the challenges of this disease, the process of dialysis, transplants, and life after them. The stories of my family inspire me to face this challenge head on, and provide me with the inspiration to give this process my best efforts. Medicine has advanced greatly since my father hit the point that I am at now. I see a bright future ahead of me.

My medical issues also give me a special focus on my immediate family, my wife Kerry and my boys Ethan and Owen. They are by my side as I work through this, and have been supporting me every step of the way. After my beloved first wife’s battle with breast cancer and her untimely passing at the young age of 44, I know I need to be there for the boys as they build their lives and their families.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.  If donating a kidney to me is something you would like to consider, I would be happy to tell you more about my story and explore the process of determining if you are a match for me. You can also contact the Donor Transplant Coordinator at Christ Hospital directly:

Breanna Bronson 

513-585-1427

breanna.bronson@TheChristHospital.com

Please share this with everyone you know to help us spread the word.

Gratefully, Adam.