After Nikki Got Her Kidney

 Since beginning this search, I have communicated with some really lovely people and some have told me about their experiences as a living kidney donor for either a loved one or a complete stranger. Since 1954, when the first living donor transplant took place, living donors have been making the ultimate gift around the world.

For people in kidney failure, a kidney transplant can extend and improve their lives. Both transplants from living and deceased donors extend lives but living donations have some additional benefits:

• Living donor kidneys last longer
• The kidney from a living donor may function better and sooner; kidneys from a deceased donor can take a while to start working
• The surgery can be scheduled at a convenient time for both the donor and the recipient (and all medical costs are covered by the recipient’s health care coverage)
• Donating a kidney can free up a kidney from a deceased donor for another person

While it is a big decision to donate a kidney, living donors can save lives. If you think it might be something that you are interested in, you can help by calling us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening on being a living donor. You can also call the St. Luke’s Transplant Department directly to do the screening at 832-355-4100.  Just tell them your planned recipient is Dominique (Nikki) Brooks. Even if you are not a match to me, it may be possible to work out a swap with another recipient.

A living donor candidate is a person who is healthy, well-informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be over 18 and in good general health, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30, a non-smoker, with no evidence of significant high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis.

Thanks for helping us find a living kidney donor.  Please spread the word and/or call us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening or St. Luke’s Transplant Department directly at 832-355-4100 for me, Dominique Brooks.

Be Inspired — Give Life!

Dominique (Nikki) Brooks

Caring people continue to amaze me – either by telling their stories or by offering their support. But a common question that I have been asked has been “Can I donate my kidney and how does that work?” I thought it would be helpful to give a general view of what a living donor evaluation looks like.

• The recipient’s health care plan covers all of the donor’s costs.
• Initially, there typically is a simple screening process to ask questions about your health. Issues that can eliminate you at this stage are some health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes or obesity. However, this can be assessed on an individual basis.
• Next, you would need a blood test to check blood types. If you don’t match your intended recipient, you can still help with a paired exchange (donate and swap) donation.
• If you do match, then additional blood tests (called tissue typing and cross matching) are completed to see how well you match the recipient.
• The potential donor may also undergo a physical examination and sometimes a psychological examination as well as urine and radiology tests.
• The amount of time needed for these tests vary depending on the transplant center.

Potential donors do have a team of professionals working with them. The goal is to take care of the potential donor, to complete the physical and laboratory evaluations, and to ensure that you are a good candidate. There are also people on this team that you can talk to if you have any questions or concerns about the process. This team also keeps all test results confidential.

While it is a big decision to donate a kidney, living donors can save lives. If you think it might be something that you are interested in, you can help by calling us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening on being a living donor.

A living donor candidate is a person who is healthy, well-informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be over 18 and in good general health, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30, a non-smoker, with no evidence of significant high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis.

Thanks for helping us find a living kidney donor.  Please spread the word and/or call us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening.

Be Inspired — Give Life!

Dominique (Nikki) Brooks

 The response and support from my friends and family and from people that I don’t even know has been heart-warming. But I have learned that while many people want to help, they really are unfamiliar with the process of donating a kidney. There are three types of living kidney donations: direct donation, paired exchange, and a Good Samaritan donation.

Direct donation: The donor knows the recipient and the kidney goes directly to them.

Paired exchange: The donor gives a kidney to one person in exchange for a kidney for their friend or loved one. Typically, this occurs when the donor does not match (e.g. blood type, etc.) their loved one.

Good Samaritan donation: Here, the donor gives a kidney to a stranger who has a donor that does not match. This initiates a chain of donations and can allow for better matching by the doctors.

Each of these situations show that living donors save lives. You can help by calling us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening on being a living donor.

A living donor candidate is a person who is healthy, well-informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be over 18 and in good general health, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30, a non-smoker, with no evidence of significant high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis.

Thanks for helping us find a living kidney donor.  Please spread the word and/or call us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening.

Be Inspired — Give Life!

Nikki

As someone in need of a living kidney donor due to the genetic condition of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), I am so grateful that people are beginning to call to do the 15-minute phone screening. Many people have reached out to me with words of support and encouragement. I also deeply appreciate the people that are spreading the word on social media and in other ways.

Sometimes, the stats in this graphic worry me.   But I have great support from my family and friends, and I have great hope in the capacity of humankind to help others.

Because of these stats, the transplant waiting list is quite long. Living donors save lives. You can help by calling us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening on being a living donor.

A living donor candidate is a person who is healthy, well-informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be over 18 and in good general health, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30, a non-smoker, with no evidence of significant high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis.

Thanks for helping us find a living kidney donor.  Please spread the word and/or call us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening.

Be Inspired — Give Life!

Dominique (Nikki) Brooks

My name is Nikki Brooks and I need a living kidney donor. I have Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) which is an inherited disorder.

The transplant waiting list is very, very long.  As you can see from the graphic, living donors save lives. You can help by calling us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening on being a living donor.

PKD is a genetic disorder in which clusters of cysts develop primarily within your kidneys. Cysts are noncancerous round sacs containing water-like fluid. The cysts vary in size and, as they accumulate more fluid, they can grow very large and damage your kidney function and cause serious complications in other parts of your body.

Did you know that you can live with only one kidney? Are you the one?

A living donor candidate is a person who is healthy, well-informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be over 18 and usually under 70 years of age. They must be in good general health, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30, a non-smoker, with no evidence of significant high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis.

A living donor can live in any state and it is important to know that all medical costs are covered by the recipient’s health insurance. As you might imagine, donating life to another is a remarkable gift that takes a great deal of thought that can only be obtained by being well informed.

Thanks for helping us find a living kidney donor.  Please spread the word and/or call us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening.