Help Chris Primm Get a Kidney!

Hi, my name is Donna and I'm fundraising for my brother-in-law Chris. I'm sharing his story in hopes to find a living kidney donor and help with the financial burden this will place on his family. If you can't contribute and don't think you are right to be a living donor, please keep reading! There are still steps you can take to help, like sharing this with your friends and family. Thank you!

Chris' story:

Chris has been living with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) for 23 years and is currently preparing for dialysis. He needs a kidney transplant, and we are hoping to find a living donor. Once he starts dialysis, he will be active on the transplant list but there are more than 100,000 people on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney. People wait for years and many die while waiting. He is still working full-time, often in extreme heat and on his feet all day.

Chris' care team (and our family) advised us to find a living donor, which is where you come in! Sharing Chris' story not only helps him, but can help the other 100,000 people on the transplant list through living donor education.

You might not know a lot about living donation - I know I didn’t before kidney disease affected my family. Understandably, some people are afraid about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them. Here’s some basic information about kidney donation:

- 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 generally two weeks.

- The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by Chris' insurance. You won’t have to pay a thing!

- 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 fill out the questionnaire and learn more here: https://forms.uvahealth.com/donor/kidney.cfm

Like so many others, Chris wants to live a healthy and functioning life. Living kidney donation might not be right for everyone, and we know financial donation isn't possible for everyone, so here are some other ways you can help Chris:

1. If you do think living donation IS right for you, you can call my UVA transplant team at [phone redacted] or fill out this form: https://forms.uvahealth.com/donor/kidney.cfm

2. Share my story with your friends and family!

a. Send them this GoFundMe or his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084784710738

b. Follow this GoFundMe for updates.

3. Finally, consider registering to be an organ donor after death.

Thank you for reading and for your help. We love Chris and this has been extremely difficult for him and my sister-in-law Jennifer. We want to be able to uplift them and help any way we can. Thoughts and prayers are being accepted and appreciated.