I first got sick when I was 4 years old with a disease known as Focal Segmental Glomerial Sclerosis. It attacked both of my kidney's so quick that many steroid treatments and many many hospital stays were not working in making me better. I was living in Virginia at the time, and then I moved to South Dakota and was hospitalized and put on dialysis to help me feel better. My mom's boss at work came forth as was a guardian angel to us for she donated me her kidney. I felt so much better and was able to play in sports and be a normal kid. It has been 8 years since that day (Dec. 15, 1999) and now my transplanted kidney has given up the fight of keeping me well. I have had to quit football and wrestling because I am too small and to weak to play. I am on peritoneal dialysis at home. I have to hook up to a machine every night for 9 hours to help rid my body of the toxins that my kidney would normally have done. Things have not been going too well lately. I have had many hospitalizations for seizures and now I have high Phosphorus levels in my body because my kidneys don't rid it from my body and m\the vessels in my body and the lining inmy brain has started to calcify. I have very high blood pressure and extreme headaches all the time. I take 22 different medications every day. I am on 2 transplant lists (In Omaha, and in Sioux Falls) so I hope this will help me get a kidney. My blood type is rare B+ so this may cause me to be on longer, but I am hopeful that I will have one before baseball season. All of our Family and Friends please keep us in your prayers!!!
Anyone interested in testing to see if you are a potential match you can contact
Jolene Halsne
Sanford Transplant Coordinator
1-800-949-0670
halsnej@sanfordhealth.org