Potrzebny dar życia, dar serca

Dzień Dobry Panie Andrzeju ,

September 11, 2025

https://mykidneysearch.ca/

” A heartfelt appeal: Please consider becoming a living kidney donor.”

MY STORY
I have been living with kidney disease for a number of years. Until recently, I have been able to manage the impacts of this chronic illness while maintaining a relatively normal lifestyle. However, over the last few months, the disease has progressed such that my kidneys do not work well enough to keep me alive. As a result, my treatment options are now limited to regular dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.

While regular dialysis treatments will keep me alive for a limited period of time, a transplant is the only alternative which would restore long term my previous quality of life. Undergoing dialysis three to four times a week will keep me alive, but this treatment significantly restricts my life and has several side effects including extreme fatigue and depression. Due to the decline in my health, I made very difficult decision to retire from my radiation oncology practice at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto where I treated cancer patients and conducted research for almost three decades.

A living kidney transplant would significantly improve my quality of life and allow me to spend more time with my beloved family and friends, as well as with my dog Ben.
However, finding a kidney donor is not easy and time is not on my side. The estimated waiting time for a deceased transplant donor with my blood type O is 6-7 years, the longest of any blood type as only O blood types can donate to other O’s. This unfortunately means that many people on the wait list do not live long enough to receive a donation. There is another option: receiving a kidney from a living donor. This is where I need your help.
My medical team has advised me that the best outcome for me is a kidney transplant from a living donor. A living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better function resulting in a much higher quality of life for the recipient who will benefit from more energy and a significantly longer lifespan. Research shows that recipients’ life expectancy increases to 15-18 years. The average lifespan on dialysis is only five years.

Currently, several of my family members are being evaluated to be my living donors. However, none has my blood type O which decreases the chance that I can find a match within my family. I am hoping someone with an O blood type will consider being tested. As such, I am making an appeal to my larger network of friends and colleagues and general public in the hopes of finding a suitable donor who is willing to consider fulfilling this exceptional request. Asking someone to consider donating a kidney to me is difficult, because I understand that it is an immense decision and incredibly personal request. Nevertheless, I have made the decision to share my story and reach out for your help because making this appeal greatly improves my chances of getting a transplant. I hope that by writing this message and disseminating it widely I can bring awareness to my case and that of others in the same situation.

FACTS ABOUT DONATION

I did not know a lot about living kidney donation before kidney disease affected my life. Understandably, some people are hesitant due to the surgery and prospect of living with one kidney. However, I have since come to understand some basic facts which one should consider when deciding whether to become a donor:
– Living with one kidney does not result in a meaningful reduction in quality of life or life expectancy.
– Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.
– The recuperation period is typically two weeks.
– The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). – – The hospital can give you an extensive information on this.
– You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate you as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and benefits and look out for YOUR best interests. Your team will put you through a number of tests to ensure you are healthy enough to donate.
– If you participate in the Canadian Kidney Paired Donation Program, you can become a living kidney donor ensuring that someone you want to help receives a needed kidney, even if they are not a direct match.

RESOURCES

If you are willing to consider becoming a living donor, I would greatly appreciate if you could take a few minutes to learn more about the process. Here are a few resources to get you started:

National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: www.kidney.org/livingdonation
NKF’s free, confidential helpline at 855.NKF.CARES (1-855-653-2273) or [email protected]. NKF can also connect you to prior living donors who can share their experience.

https://www.ontariorenalnetwork.ca/en/kidney-care-resources/clinical-tools/transplantation-tools/resources-patients-donors#for-donors

https://transplantambassadors.ca/resource-hub/

the transplant centre direct: [email protected] 1-416-340-4800 ext.7568

MY CONTACT

Contact me at my E Mail [email protected] my cell phone (1 416-562-2430) to learn more details of my story.

I appreciate the gravity of my request and would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to read my story. Since sharing my appeal as widely as possible is the first step to finding a donor, please feel free to share my story with anyone who might be willing to help.

Sincerely,

Ewa Szumacher