Heyyyy!
My name is Taleah Williams Howard but I go by Lya (lee-yah)! I am 27 years old and I was gifted with Lupus for my 16th birthday. From being diagnosed, Lupus quickly caused my Kidneys to inflame, which later resulted in being diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). I have been battling this horrid disease for 11 years. I’ve been in & out of the hospital countless times & unfortunately have been close to death just the same. This is a journey I had to travel these 11 years on my own, with the guidance of my doctors & support of my partner ! My Kidneys functioning rate has been declining for the past several years. I am currently at a rate of 14-18%.
I am on a magical hunt for my live kidney donor, Which means my donor is alive. I started my search for a Live Kidney Donor in December of 2019 & although I have yet to find one, I’m still keeping faith that I will find a match soon. Facebook has allowed me to share my story & connect with organizations who help those suffering from ckd. I am so thankful & forever grateful to have a platform & actually be heard by many people who are experiencing or have experienced the same things. This may sound very cliche, but even though I’ve been through a tough time, I know I am not alone.
This is where you come in!
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To everyone having an interest in becoming a Donor, words can’t describe how thankful I am, for you.
This gift will help with my life's quality and longevity. My doctors have informed me that although I am on the kidney list for a deceased donor, this is the healthiest way to pursue a kidney transplant. A living kidney donation is a safer option because it helps me avoid dialysis completely. Once a match is found the transplant process will be a lot faster, versus the deceased donor list that has a 7 year plus wait time. Including myself, There are over 90,000 people waiting for a kidney with very unique and different circumstances. The odds sometimes don’t always look like they are in our favor but that is why we need people like you to help.
I know and completely understand that it’s a lot to ask, but thank you again for being interested in getting tested & learning more about being a living donor. Living donors go through a careful and thorough evaluation with a SEPARATE team of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to ensure that the transplant will be safe for both the recipient and the donor. Now, If your blood type doesn’t match mine, we can be entered in a kidney swap where your kidney would go to another recipient that is a match and I would get the kidney they have that matches mine. More information on how “kidney swap” works can be found on my linktree. The link to fill out the evaluation is below!
With love & care,
Lya
