A Central Texas woman is just one of many patients on dialysis waiting for a kidney transplant. But, her waiting could be cut short if she were to receive a kidney donation from a living person.
Lachanda Wilson made up her mind to do everything she can to fight for her life including losing 90 pounds in the last year. But now, you could be the answer to her prayers.
Wilson was told she was going into kidney failure at the age of 22. But, she admits she didn't manage her high blood pressure.
"Blood pressure is the number one reason I'm here. It is a silent killer," Lachanda Wilson, a dialysis patient waiting for a kidney transplant, said.
Now, 18 years later, Wilson is in the end stage of kidney failure and on dialysis.
"I fought that for like two years. And I was like, I'm not going on dialysis... I think I'd rather just die than be on dialysis," Wilson added.
But, tough love from her doctor put things into perspective for Wilson.
"She told me she was done with me. She's like, I'm not gonna watch you kill yourself.' basically... so, I went home and prayed about it," Wilson said.
Wilson said she realized how selfish she was being by refusing to help herself... so now she's on dialysis three times a week.
"What our body does 24/7 very gently is what I'm doing in 12 hours a week, so of course the treatment is much more intense," Dr. Roshny George, Wilson's doctor, said.
Dialysis is a means to an end for about five years or until patients can be granted a transplant.
"The burden of chronic kidney disease is quite a lot that there aren't enough deceased donors to match the need of the patients that are on dialysis or getting to end stage," Dr. George added.
"It ain't even all about me no more. If they would just go get tested for anybody, me included, but you know, for anybody, just don't sit and wait on somebody like me to come along and be like 'I need a kidney, please, please, help.' If people would just find it in their heart to just go find out if they could be a donor and help somebody, it would mean a lot to all of us," Wilson added.
Dr. George added if patients like Wilson receive a living kidney donation they can live an average of 10-20 years more while deceased donors are closer to 8-12 years.
If a living donor would like to donate a kidney you can visit livingdonortemple.org.
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