My name is Robby Richardson. I need a kidney. Since 2006,
I have been on dialysis, and now I’ve made the decision to begin the transplant
process. After much discussion with my family, I’m seeking out a living donor.
I have explored my options for some time. My reasons for
seeking a live donor can best be summed up by this taken directly from the web
page of the National Kidney Foundation:
“Living donor kidneys will last on average
12 to 15 years and cadaver kidneys last on average 8 to 10 years at the present
time.”
Currently I live in my hometown of Savannah, Ga with my
wife Kim and my two awesome children Roni and Jude. These three wonderful people
are often the reason behind most of my smiles. In spite of kidney disease, I still
work full time as a teacher at Jenkins High School where I am in inclusion
Special Education teaching 10th and American Lit. Lately, I’ve begun
to focus some of my work on helping autistic students integrate into the regular
ed setting. Another reason for my smiles--I love teaching.
My insurance will cover the process, so there should be
no out of pocket expenses for you if decide to give me this much appreciated
gift. If you are a state employee, you will even receive paid leave in the
state of Georgia because they support organ transplants. If you go through the screening
process and discover you are not a match, you can still donate your kidney
though a paired kidney donation program where you can match with another person
and in turn, UNOS will match me another donor, too.
You can find more
information here:
Just click on “Become a living donor.”
It’s pretty humbling to sit and type all the reasons why
you need to put out to the universe why you need someone to give up one of
their organs. Words come pretty naturally to me and frankly, this has been the
hardest thing I have ever written. It comes down to this--in spite of living
with dialysis (which sucks), I have found the greatest happiness in my life with
my wife and kids. I dream of walking my daughter down the aisle one day, watching
my son figure whatever amazing thing he’s going to do with his life, and
growing old with my wife and spoiling her rotten to repay her with all the
support and love she has given me through this. Dialysis has kept me alive for 12 years, but I
am now ready to live and I have three of the most amazing reasons to live for
which I have just shared.
I can’t offer you money, but I can give you my eternal
thanks for making the third act of my life matter. By donating your kidney, you
will have helped make a huge difference in my life.
---Robby Richardson
March 10, 2018
Savannah Ga
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| Why I smile so much... |
Citations:
https://www.kidney.org/blog/ask-doctor/do-living-donor-kidneys-last-longer-cadaver-kidney-transplant
