You (and Your Kidney) Can Help!
Walt Whitaker is in urgent need of a kidney transplant, and you can help!
The kidney donation waitlist will take the average patient three to five years to receive a kidney donation, but with donation from a living donor Walt can get the transplant he needs much sooner, avoiding dialysis and improving his long-term prognosis.
We invite you to read Walt’s story below, followed by information about becoming a kidney donor. If you are unable to donate, you can still help by sharing this to social media or with friends and family to help us spread the word and widen our search for a donor!
Walt’s Story
My life has been full of challenges from a young age. My parents divorced when I was young and my mother felt she couldn’t raise me so my father tried, but as a teenager I was forced to live in foster care. I was headed down the wrong path, I had dropped out of school and was destined for problems.
In my early 20s I found a better life! I was baptized, went back to school, learned a good trade, and became a sheet metal worker. Soon, I found the love of my life, Susan, and we married and had two beautiful children, Ryan and Andie. My life was looking very good, I was active in my church, I had hobbies, and I worked hard at my job and around the house. I had beaten the odds.
In 1995 my fortune changed, as I was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor, and the medical professionals weren’t sure I would survive. If I did survive, I was told I may never walk, talk, or even be able to swallow again. After a scary several months of surgeries, hospitalization, and even a spinal tap, I beat the odds and my doctors’ expectations, and just six months later I was able to return to work and within a year there was no evidence I was ever sick.
Unfortunately, the brain tumor was only the beginning of my medical challenges. In 2000, I was diagnosed with diabetes. In 2005, I had another brain tumor and this time my doctor said he was betting I would beat this one, and once again six months later I was back at work! However, my diabetes had become worse because of all the medications I was on to treat the brain tumor and I was now insulin dependent.
By 2009, I knew there was something else, once again. I received the devastating news; I had cancer, a diagnosis of lymphoma in my neck, my groin, and my bone marrow, and along with further testing the medical team found I also had renal cell carcinoma. At this time, I was given five to seven years to live. Boy did I prove them wrong! Through my faith in God, many prayers, and a sheer will to live and a desire to be there for my children and my newborn grandchild Kendra, I became quite resilient!
In early 2010, my right kidney had to be removed to combat the renal cell carcinoma, catching it before it spread to both kidneys. The lymphoma on the other hand was another story, and over the course of the next several years it continued to ravage my body. It attacked my remaining kidney and after many rounds of chemotherapy, 16 rounds of radiation, a stem cell transplant, and finally CAR-T cell therapy in 2021 which cured the cancer!
After a few years in remission, I have now found out that my remaining kidney is failing. The good news is that I’m cancer free, so I qualify for a kidney transplant. Dialysis treatment is a less desirable option, because it takes a lot out of you, and with all my existing conditions it would be a major challenge. Dialysis weakens your heart, puts you at greater risk of infection, and brings upon extreme fatigue, ruining your ability to enjoy life with family and friends. As you can imagine, being tied to a machine is very difficult and time consuming.
Walt’s Call for Help
A kidney transplant is my best chance for a normal and healthy life. My medical team feels that a live donor is in my best interest, as a live kidney is usually healthier and lasts on average ten years longer than a cadaver kidney, so the odds of it failing in my lifetime are small. Currently, there is a five to seven year wait for a deceased donor for my blood type and I can’t wait that long. I want to be sure to be there for my family, especially to see my twin one-year-old granddaughters grow up and create new memories with them.
I hope you will consider becoming my kidney donor, my guardian angel, my lifeline toward living the rest of my life in good health and good spirits! If you’re unable to donate, I simply ask you to share my story with everyone you know, to help me find the right person ready to become a hero! Share it on all your social media platforms, email family, call friends, tell coworkers, classmates, or your church and social groups. With your help, my plea can spread far and wide and I know my prayers will be answered!
God has a plan for me, I don’t believe my time on this earth is done yet.
I want to share my journey with many others who struggle daily and give them hope that they too may find a path to happiness. My plea is simple yet profound: the gift of life is within reach, and together, we can make a difference. I see the resilience of the human spirit, the power of community, and the profound impact of generosity. My story is a beacon of hope, illuminating the path towards a future where more lives can be saved through the selfless act of kidney donation.
Living Donor Donation
Receiving a kidney from a living donor is the best way for patients to receive a kidney transplant in a timely fashion, avoiding lengthy waitlists. Donors must be over the age of 18, and some medical conditions will prevent you from becoming a donor. An organ transplant center will professionally screen you to determine if you are suitable to donate!
Any Blood Type Counts!
While Walt requires a Type O kidney, you can donate a kidney of any type! Through Paired Exchange, if you donate a kidney in Walt’s name that does not match his blood type, your kidney will go to another patient that is a match for your blood type and the next available Type O kidney donation will go to Walt.
Your Costs Are Covered
Walt’s health insurance will cover many of your expenses, including all medical expenses related to donation screening and the transplant itself. Several programs exist to cover lost wages, travel, and living expenses during the recovery period. Additionally, you may be eligible for tax credits from your state!
The Donor Experience
Choosing to become a kidney donor can feel like a big commitment for many, with many questions about the process, and it’s helpful to hear from someone who has personally donated to learn about what to expect. Cindy is a former kidney donor, and the mother of Walt’s son’s girlfriend, and she shared her experience:
One phone call can change the course of life for two friends. That’s what happened to me nearly 20 years ago when a friend and I were simply catching up on a few times a year phone call.
She mentioned that she was facing dialysis due to a health issue and her name was being added to the transplant list. Huh! I didn’t realize her illness had progressed so I asked, “what makes a donor?” She told me the start is blood type, which, coincidentally we shared. “Then what?” I asked and she continued to lay out the process which seemed quite simple, so I said, “I’ll do it.”
WHAT?! That’s not what she expected, but for me it was an easy decision. We navigated the process, passing each step with ease, leading us to a very successful kidney transplant. I forget that I donated a kidney until someone brings it up. She tells me that she thinks of me and “our kidney” everyday, grateful to live to see her children marry and grandchildren born.
Donating a kidney was one of the easiest and most rewarding experiences of my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to literally give life back to someone who would otherwise not be here!
Learn More About Donating:
Visit the National Kidney Foundation’s page about Living Donor Transplants at https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/getting-living-donor-kidney-transplant
Visit the National Kidney Registry’s page about Kidney Paired Donation Programs at https://www.kidneyregistry.com/for-donors/i-know-someone-who-needs-a-kidney/paired-donation/
Ready to take the next steps toward donating your kidney to Walt? He’d love to speak with you and discuss this process further, in addition to getting to know you better and express his gratitude! Call Walt at 612-720-4231 or email him at no1supertinner@gmail.com.
To sign up to become a kidney donor to Walt, visit the University of Minnesota M Health donation form at https://mhealth.donorscreen.org/register/now
Fairly Unbalanced 