Living Donor Kidney Needed – A message from Dan Napoleon

Dear Friends and Family –

Some of you may know and many of you do not know that a few years ago I was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease and over time, my kidney disease has gotten worse causing my kidneys not to work well enough to keep me alive. I now have End Stage Renal Disease – or kidney failure. This is what I am facing now, and my treatment options are limited to dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.

I am receiving regular dialysis treatments, three times a week for four hours at a time. This helps my kidneys do their job to 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.

I am humbly asking a family member or a friend to consider donating a kidney to me. I know this is difficult decision (imagine how difficult it is to have to ask), 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.
• You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate and look out for YOUR interests as a living donor.

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 either inbox me or call/text me at 609.577.5060.

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

Thank you for your consideration. If nothing else, please continue to pray strength for me and my family! -Dan