Some of you know may someone in your family or in your jobs or even in your neighborhoods that have kidney disease. What is not always known is what having this disease means to the person who has it. Since my original diagnose in 2023 my wife and I have taken a lot of time to study this disease and we have turned our fear of it into motivation to seek the measures it will take to overcome this trial in our family’s lives. With prayers and many tests and meetings with my doctors there is two ways we will approach this. The first is understanding and preparing for dialysis treatment.

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       Getting regular dialysis treatment usually occurs three times a week for 8 hours at a time which will help my kidneys do their job, but the next step is a kidney transplant. This would offer me more freedom and the ability to live a longer, healthier, more normal life. Also, dialysis is not a permanent fix. A transplant would also give me more time to do things I enjoy most, like spending time with my beautiful family and wonderful friends as well as continuing to serve in my church and continue to train others to become responsible self-defenders and confident first responders. I know that my God has and is taking great care of me and my family during this time, but I must admit that there were some hard days. However, I love the fact that there is so much information about kidney transplants and there is the science and medicine to do it. It gives my family and I great hope.

 

       However, finding a kidney for a transplant is a process. There are 100,000+ people on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney like me. The wait time for a deceased donor can take at least three or more years in most cases. However, there is another option: receiving a kidney from a living donor.

   

       Asking family members, friends, and all of you to consider donating a kidney improves my chances of getting a transplant. A living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better function.

 

       You might not know a lot about living donation - I know my wife and I didn’t before kidney disease affected our lives. Understandably, some people are afraid about the surgery and what it means to live with one kidney. Here’s some basic information about kidney donation:

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• You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life.

• Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.

• The recuperation period is usually quick, generally two weeks.

• The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by my insurance. The hospital can give you 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.

 

       You can also learn more about living donation on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: www.kidney.org/livingdonation or by contacting the NKF’s free, confidential helpline at 855.NKF.CARES (855.653.2273) or nkfcares@kidney.org. If you want to talk to someone who’s already donated a kidney, NKF can also help.

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       Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I write this letter so that if donating a kidney to me is something anyone would like to consider, I would be happy to tell them more about my story and explore the process of determining if they are a match for me. they can also contact my transplant center directly at 616-685-6890.​ You may also contact me directly by email at dennismoore997@gmail.com or by phone at 616-498-5254.

 

       The great thing about this whole process is that if a person has decided to be tested for a kidney for me and we are not a match they may still be a match to someone else and that could be explored further if that person wanted to, and I would still be moved up the deceased list to help my chances of getting a kidney faster. However, I know living donation may not be right for everyone — but they can still help! They can consider being an organ donor after death. Please help me by sharing my story. At the very least I want to bring awareness to kidney disease and living donation. I am hopeful my efforts will help me receive a kidney sooner and encourage others to consider helping the many people on the wait list. Have faith that my prayers will be answered and in my study time I look to these three bible scriptures to lean on more than ever now are:

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John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

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Philippians 1:19

For I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.

 

1 Peter 1:6

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

 

Sincerely,

Dennis and Melissa Moore

Owners of Cover Training Solutions