Kidney Care Center encourages help to those in need of transplants
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – March is National Kidney Month.
Millions of people in the United States are affected by kidney disease.
For many of them, a transplant is their best option for survival.
But finding the right donor is often a challenge.
According to the CDC, kidney disease affects nearly 40 million people in the U.S.
And those who work with these patients encourage others to consider becoming kidney donors.
“They get lab work every month. Based on that, we decide what their dialysis prescription or what their doctor’s dialysis prescription is. They usually have a lot of other doctor’s appointments, a lot of other health conditions that also require time-consuming medical treatment, so a kidney transplant for them gives them an opportunity of having somewhat a normal life again.”
Staff at Fresenius Kidney Care Center in Columbus know that it is challenging to find the right donor.
Kimberly Farmer Harmon is an organ donor recipient.
She said she is beyond thankful for the family that gave her the gift of life.
“I would love to know all the things about my donor. But, the way that process works, they wait a year before they transfer the letters that I’ve written to the family and then the family have the option whether they want to reach out to me or not. It was very hard for me to know that somebody had to pass away in order for me to survive.”
Harmon said there are more than 100,000 people on the transplant waiting list and 85 percent of those are waiting on a kidney transplant.
She said it is her mission to spread the word about resources for those in need.
“If you have any questions, Donate Life can answer them, I can answer them. Just reach out and somebody will have an answer for you. it’s very important and the knowledge that I have now can help me be a better advocate for those who are still on the waiting list and that’s what I plan to do with my story and my testimony.”
If you are interested in becoming an organ donor, you can find more information at RegisterMe or DonateLife.
