BLAKE NEEDS A LIVING KIDNEY DONOR
Blake lives his life to the fullest despite having Type 1 Diabetes and kidney failure. He is a fighter who has given so much to others, from family to his colleagues. Now, we hope a courageous person will hear his story and decide to give back to him.
About Blake
When Blake was just 6 years old, he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He has had to worry about his diabetes his whole life, despite taking great care of himself. In February of 2020, Blake learned his kidney was not working and functioning at 17%. Even with major changes to his diet, his kidney disease progressed. In October of 2022, he made the tough choice to go on dialysis. As you can imagine, being on dialysis is not easy and, each night, he has to use a cycler. He also had to give up traveling for work which was incredibly difficult for him. He loves his work so much.
we need to find a living donor
Unfortunately, dialysis is also not an optimal solution for Blake as it can lead to complications such as low blood pressure, infection, and even blood clots. This is why we took on the onerous task of getting him on the transplant waiting list for a deceased kidney donor.
However, the transplant waiting list is roughly 3-5 years long and there are thousands of people on it, which means Blake would wait a significant amount of time before a deceased donation would be possible. This means more time on dialysis, more time waiting, and less time improving and living fully for Blake. Blake’s medical team has informed us that there is a better alternative, living kidney donation.
who is eligible to donate?
Blake is extremely lucky to have secured highly qualified medical help and support from the team at the University of Utah Health. He wants any interested persons to know that they will be in exceptional hands should they decide to step forward. UUH has shared the following as a pre-qualification list for donation:
- must be between the age of 18-69 years old.
- must be healthy and free of major health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, obesity (BMI of 37 or less).
- must be mentally and emotionally healthy.
You Can Help Save Blake's Life!
Are You Interested In Donating?
If you are interested in being Blake's living donor, please complete the short contact form below. A donor advocate will reach out to you within one business day to answer any questions you may have and will guide you through the next steps in the process.
Have Questions About donating?
Having questions is normal! We have a great resource available. Please complete the contact form below and a donor advocate named Laurie will reach out to you. Laurie is a living kidney donor who can answer any non-medical questions you may have, guide you through the process, and connect you to great resources. If you have medical questions, we can connect you with the right team member at the University of Utah Health.
No, but i want to help!
Thank you! The best way you can help is by following Blake's Facebook page and sharing posts from his page as much as possible. The more shares we get, the more people we can reach, and the better chance we will have of finding Blake's courageous donor.
PROCESS FOR STEPPING FORWARD AS A DONOR FOR BLAKE
Below are the simple steps you will take to move through the living donor process. Know that even thinking about being Blake’s living kidney donor is a courageous step and we are grateful for you!
COMPLETE CONTACT FORM
Fill out the short contact form below and Laurie, a donor advocate, will reach out to you within 1 business day to set up a time to connect.
DISCUSSION
During your time with Laurie, you will get to ask questions and get answers from a living kidney donor. She will tell you more about the process, address non-medical concerns, and connect you to valuable resources.
COMPLETE BREEZE
Breeze is a health questionnaire that will be reviewed by Blake's medical team to determine your eligibility for living donation and next steps.
Kidney Transplant Facts
Here are some things you may not know about kidney transplant and living donation. After considering the facts, you will see why living kidney donation is Blake’s best option for healing and living a full life.
THE WAITING LIST IS LONG
There are over 100,000 people on the kidney transplant waiting list in the U.S. On average, most peopl will wait 3-5 years before getting a kidney from a deceased donor.
NEW NAME EVERY 9 MINUTES
Each day, 17 people die waiting for a life-saving organ transplant and a new name is added to the transplant waiting list every 9 minute
THERE'S A KIDNEY SHORTAGE
The shortage of kidneys for transplantation continues to be a public health crisis in the U.S.
LIVING DONORS HELP
5,700 living kidney donor surgeries occur annually in the U.S. and the vast majority of kidney donors know the person they donate to.
KIDNEYS ARE INCREDIBLE
When a person steps forward to donate a kidney, one is removed and the other grows and increases its function so the body can operate normally.
SPEEDY RECOVERY
Living kidney donors are often able to return to work within 2 weeks, and fully heal within 6-8 weeks.
From Blake...
“I would cherish everyday of my life and be thankful that I could live a normal life once again with the freedom to travel, go out at night, and do many of the things that have become difficult with my kidney disease. I am grateful for any person who even considers being my donor. I know it is a big decision and I don’t have the words to express how thankful I am.”
Questions & Answers
Most of Blake’s family cannot donate for health reasons. His son, Robert, started the process, but his daughter become Type 1. After a long discussion it was decided it best that he saved his kidney for her. In some cases, the best living donor is one who is not a family member, even when family members do step forward to donate.
While Blake's insurance will provide coverage for the donor, the donor needs to have their own health insurance in the rare event an unknown health issues comes up for the donor.
While Blake’s insurance covers all costs related to the donation (for Blake and the donor), there are expenses like travel, meals, and lost wages that Rich can legally reimburse you for. There are also additional resources available to ensure you are not paying for anything out of pocket. We can provide more information on those resources.
Living kidney donors are often able to return to work within 2 weeks, and fully heal within 6-8 weeks. After surgery, the donor’s remaining kidney will also grow in size and function, allowing them to live normal life with just one kidney.
Living kidney donors are often able to return to work within 2 weeks, and fully heal within 6-8 weeks. After surgery, the donor’s remaining kidney will also grow in size and function, allowing them to live normal life with just one kidney.
The ideal outcome is for Blake is to find a living donor. He has already battled so much with his Type 1 Diabetes that being on the kidney transplant waiting list for 3-5 years is simply not ideal. Long-term dialysis is also not ideal as it can lead to a variety of complications such as low blood pressure, injection site infection, and blood clots.
