Kidneys For Kids “100 Kidneys For 100 KIDS” 48 State C
https://fundrazr.com/1278q7?ref=fb_6C0NS6_ab_6166a0
Story: In 2012, I read a newspaper story about a 10-year-old girl from our town who needed a kidney transplant. I did not know her, but almost two years prior, I had tried to help a friend who also needed a kidney transplant by offering to become his paired kidney donor (If you do not match a person directly in blood and tissue type, you can donate to someone you may never meet, and push your friend or loved on to the top of the kidney transplant list, so they will receive their need kidney)
I was taken back by this girl’s mother, who had put aside pride or caring what anyone thought of her; she had made a sign from a pink piece of construction paper and wrote-“MY DAUGHTER NEEDS A KIDNEY, I CANNOT LOSE HER. PLEASE HELP”” https://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/2012/09/bay_city_girl_jessica_schwerin.html Two days later, I called the mother’s phone number from the story and found I was her daughter’s blood type. I then contacted The University of Michigan Transplant Center to be tested for Jessica- the young girl who would change my life. Within two weeks, I was notified that I was a one-in-100,000 match for Jessica, and after talking with family members and close friends, I committed to being her donor. Jessica and her mother were notified the day before Thanksgiving, -2012 that Jessica had a donor. They were elated, and after being introduced in December, we rode together to our transplant surgeries in a donated limousine and on January 11, 2013; Jessica received my left kidney. https://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/2013/01/10_year-old_jessica_schwerin_a.html
Both surgeries were a complete success, and Jessica began a new-healthy life. And we started a bond that would grow for almost ten years now. Jessica is now 20, healthy, in college, and on the board of directors for my non-profit, Kidneys For Kids. Seeing what my kidney did for her is why I must complete a trip for other children, which I started this year and will continue in May 2023. This 48-state-50-city journey aims to inspire 100 adults to come forward and become kidney donors for 100 kids. Below, you will read the following reasons I need your support today: to complete this ambitious mission and see others become kidney donors to save more kids’ lives.
Fundraising Goal: $22,500
Time Limit- December 31st
Reasons To Support This Life-Saving Journey:
• In March of this year, after advocating for an adult friend who needs her 2nd kidney transplant in a Tv story- and seeing her receive a great response, I founded Kidneys For Kids, since I had donated to a child. I want to see the over 1100 kids on the kidney transplant list and the over 4000 others in renal failure who will need a kidney have a better chance of finding a kidney donor. And I want our non-profit mission to help families of children who are in kidney failure or receiving a transplant, with costs of prescriptions and treatments not covered by insurance or other resources. I then decided I needed to take action and set an example to lead others to help these children who need the gift of life. So I put together a plan for a marathon 48 state-50 city trip (in an electric vehicle no less to advocate in a responsible manner), planning to visit transplant hospitals, kidney foundations,and just talk with anyone who would listen and schedule Tv and newspaper interviews-where I would present facts about becoming a living kidney donor to a child, and how a person could save a child’s life, while continuing to live a normal life themselves.
• Well, even the best of intentions can become an enormous task to actually complete, as I found out. After many delays, cancellations, and promises of sponsorship to help me complete this trip, I set off on my own in September- with a Chevrolet dealer lending me a Chevrolet Bolt EV. I traveled first to Chicago, Illinois, and Jackson, Mississippi- where I advocated for children through 2 kidney foundations in Tv interviews. It was after that I was contacted by parents of kidney kids, asking me if I would come to their town and advocate for their child. So, in October, I made a track to Virginia, where I was honored to be in 2 Tv and one newspaper interview for two boys- one only 16 months old, and the other 11 years old. Both had been in kidney failure since birth. Both stories received tremendous responses, and it was then I knew that setting up more personal interviews for other children was the formula to see potential donors volunteer to become a child’s hero. But to do that, I would have to cover over 18,000 miles in my plan to cover the 48 contiguous states, as well as to carry on 50 or more Tv and newspaper interviews. So now, my friends, the plans for that full trip are entirely in the works, but I need your help to save a minimum of 100 kids’ lives. And I need it today, so I can schedule Tv and newspaper interviews in 50 cities. And plan my travel route. I must cover the costs of electrical charging, hotel, meals, press releases, insurance, and editing of filming in each city for our documentary on living kidney donation to children -which will save even more lives. Are you willing to put saving the lives of children on your Christmas list this year? I am making a challenge to everyone reading this campaign to show you care this Christmas and make sure this life-saving journey is completed!
Please review these media links and photos, and help me get more stories like these seen and children’s lives saved by making your donation –
https://fundrazr.com/1278q7?ref=fb_6C0NS6_ab_6166a0
today! Any funds not used on this journey will be donated directly to the Kidneys For Kids family mission.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8z8AvWMnq4&list=PLnpNks8ipcSdfpgZJkrWvASZxxh93eJRt&index=5
