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Donor for Debbie – Living Kidney Donor Needed {Miracle Series}

Debbie is looking for a living kidney donor. I’m going to start by letting you read Debbie’s story.

“Hi everyone. My name is Debbie Lanagan, and I am 37 years old. I’m currently in need of a kidney transplant, and I’m looking for a living kidney donor.

I have been married to my husband, Rick, for 12 years and together we have two beautiful children. Hannah who is 10 years old and Matthew who is 16 months.

All of my life I knew that Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) ran in my family. When I shared this at a routine doctor visit in 2001, my doctor advised me to schedule some tests, and I did. A week before my 21st birthday, I was diagnosed with PKD. I knew I would ultimately need a kidney transplant at some point in my later years, having watched my mother live with the disease and require a kidney at age 54 after 3 years of dialysis.

I met my husband Rick in 2002, and we were married in 2005. We had our first child Hannah, in 2007, with no complications. I was managing the disease with blood pressure medication, and checking in with the nephrologist every 3-5 years.

In 2016, I was pregnant with my second child, Matthew. The pregnancy was very difficult, resulting in bed rest for many months. At 30 weeks, he was delivered, due to severe pre-eclampsia. While Matthew grew stronger in the NICU, I was being informed that I was in kidney failure. While the doctors were hopeful that my numbers would rebound, ultimately they never did. After six weeks post-delivery, there was still no progress.

I was now seeing the nephrologist every two months for testing, and my creatnine levels were not getting any better (my kidneys were not filtering waste as they should). In August of 2017 the doctor advised me it was time to start thinking about getting on the transplant list, and in October I met with the transplant team for the first time. Sitting in the conference room listening and watching and learning…things became frighteningly real. I had so many questions: about my family, my job, my life and started asking myself “Who will take care of my children?”. I knew I would be facing this at some point in my life, but I never expected to be here at 37.

And now I need your help…spreading awareness, finding a kidney, and helping me find my way to a healthier life!

There is an amazing swap program that exists at the hospital, and you do not even have to be a direct match for me! If you are interested in being a donor, please call the Living Donor coordinators at Hartford Hospital: Kari at 860.972.9918 OR Azzy at 860.972.4632.

Please call today, or pass along the information to someone you know.

Thank you for your support!”

I’ve known Debbie since we were young children. We lived down the street from one another and carpooled to CCD. I never thought I’d be writing a blog post for a friend my age looking for a kidney. Please follow her Facebook Page and consider becoming a living donor. Debbie is a mother to two young children, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a dog mom and a teacher. She has the most positive attitude and the biggest heart. April is Organ Donation Awareness Month. If you are interested in becoming a living donor for Debbie, please contact her Living Donor coordinators: Kari at 860.972.9918 or Azzy at 860.972.4632

The Journal Inquirer recently wrote an article about Debbie and her fight.

Here are some facts I found from the #DonorForDebbie Facebook page:
– Donors are typically in the hospital for 2-4 days
– Living donors are the best option for organ recipients, for many reasons. One is that the health of the organs (and donor) is known prior to donation
– In order to donate a kidney to Debbie, you do NOT have to be an exact match! Willing, and approved, donors can be entered into the swap program! The program allows there to be a chain of donors and recipients…from potentially all over the world!
– About 6,000 living donations occur each year. One in four donors is NOT biologically related to the recipient.
– Liver and kidney disease kills over 120,000 each year, more people than Alzheimer’s, breast cancer, or prostate cancer.

living donorkidneykidneydonorfordebbiefamilyfamilyfamilykindeydonorfordebbie

*If you have somebody that you’d like to nominate for my Miracle Series, please send me an email!
*To view any updates on Debbie’s story and to follow the blog, please click here.

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