REI Cares - Fadi
Donation protected
A memeber of REI family, Fadi Ishac, is in urgent need to find a kidney donor to help save his life. Every donation no matter how small helps him with medical expenses.
Here's a little bit about his condition in his own words -
" I have glomerular chronic kidney disease, and my battle with this disease began at age three. I started gaining weight at an alarming rate, and my parents took me to the doctor. They performed a kidney biopsy and subsequently diagnosed me with glomerular chronic kidney disease, and I was told that my kidneys would fail in just a few years. I was able to make it by on medicine until one day, when I was 10 years old, I had excruciating chest pain. I was immediately transported to the hospital, where I was told the pain was a result of kidney failure and I had to start dialysis. Dialysis is a treatment that does some of the things done by healthy kidneys. It is needed when your own kidneys can no longer take care of your body's needs, such as removing waste, salt and extra water to prevent them from building up in the body, keeping a safe level of certain chemicals in your blood, and helping to control blood pressure. was effective for a time. However, two years later my kidneys stopped functioning altogether, and I returned to dialysis once again.
After eight months with no improvement, we were forced to look into kidney donation. Extensive testing found that none of my family members were a match, and I had to wait for a kidney from an unrelated donor. Fortunately, at 15 years of age, I found a match and had my first kidney transplant. The surgery was successful, and I was able to live a normal life for the next twenty-five years until a routine checkup this past March. I found that my body is rejecting my transplanted kidney and I would need dialysis and extensive plasma exchange treatment. However, this is only a temporary solution. At this point, the only thing that will be able to save my life will be a new kidney from a kidney donor. While I have been receiving treatment and have joined the transplant list for a new kidney, the wait for a kidney from an organ donor is 5-10 years, and I unfortunately do not have that time."
OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
· If you are interested in becoming a donor to help Fadi, please visit the National Kidney Foundation for more information or contact [email redacted].
· If you would like to lend a helping hand in cooking or baking to raise funds for Fadi, please email [email redacted]. Cooking ingredients are reimbursable.
. Help spread the word to find a living donor. Feel free to post this story on your Facebook and Tweet about it.
Here's a little bit about his condition in his own words -
" I have glomerular chronic kidney disease, and my battle with this disease began at age three. I started gaining weight at an alarming rate, and my parents took me to the doctor. They performed a kidney biopsy and subsequently diagnosed me with glomerular chronic kidney disease, and I was told that my kidneys would fail in just a few years. I was able to make it by on medicine until one day, when I was 10 years old, I had excruciating chest pain. I was immediately transported to the hospital, where I was told the pain was a result of kidney failure and I had to start dialysis. Dialysis is a treatment that does some of the things done by healthy kidneys. It is needed when your own kidneys can no longer take care of your body's needs, such as removing waste, salt and extra water to prevent them from building up in the body, keeping a safe level of certain chemicals in your blood, and helping to control blood pressure. was effective for a time. However, two years later my kidneys stopped functioning altogether, and I returned to dialysis once again.
After eight months with no improvement, we were forced to look into kidney donation. Extensive testing found that none of my family members were a match, and I had to wait for a kidney from an unrelated donor. Fortunately, at 15 years of age, I found a match and had my first kidney transplant. The surgery was successful, and I was able to live a normal life for the next twenty-five years until a routine checkup this past March. I found that my body is rejecting my transplanted kidney and I would need dialysis and extensive plasma exchange treatment. However, this is only a temporary solution. At this point, the only thing that will be able to save my life will be a new kidney from a kidney donor. While I have been receiving treatment and have joined the transplant list for a new kidney, the wait for a kidney from an organ donor is 5-10 years, and I unfortunately do not have that time."
OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
· If you are interested in becoming a donor to help Fadi, please visit the National Kidney Foundation for more information or contact [email redacted].
· If you would like to lend a helping hand in cooking or baking to raise funds for Fadi, please email [email redacted]. Cooking ingredients are reimbursable.
. Help spread the word to find a living donor. Feel free to post this story on your Facebook and Tweet about it.
Organizer and beneficiary
Divya Santhamurthy
Organizer
Sterling, VA
Zbigniew Staszkiewicz
Beneficiary