Support Larissa's Fight-Focal Segmental Glomerulosclero

Hello there, thank you for stopping by. You’ve come this far to hear my story and I appreciate you just for that. My name is Larissa, I’m a type one diabetic, was diagnosed in sixth grade. I was then diagnosed with FSGS kidney disease at 17.

FSGS (Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis) is a rare kidney disease that I was diagnosed with my senior year of high school. I remember my doctor telling me it is a rare disease, that in time causes scarring in the kidney's glomeruli, which are tiny filters that remove waste from the blood to create urine. The scarring damages the glomeruli's ability to filter, allowing protein to leak into the urine. He told me it’s not reversible. I didn’t know it would only be 10 years before the function of both my kidneys would come to end.

As of the beginning of 2024, I went into end stage kidney failure. My kidneys are now only functioning at 2%. My medical bills are piling up and as a single mom with a 3-year-old boy, it gets tough. My son’s name is Jackson, he is my lifeline.

Life on dialysis has gotten more difficult while being a mother at the same time. Most days I’m vomiting, feel fatigued, and very painful cramps that keep me awake all night. But I do my best to get through the day and provide the best for my son. I show up for my son no matter how I’m feeling or sleep deprived I might be.

I'm hooked up to a dialysis machine 9 hours a day, 7 days a week. It makes me sad sometimes, when I want to go out and play with my son but I feel so tired all the time.

During my pregnancy with my son, I was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia due to my already weak kidneys. I was hospitalized until I gave birth. I maxed out on blood pressure medication so the doctor decided to do an emergency c-section at 27 weeks. It was days before I got to hold my son. He was in the NICU for 110 days. When he came home, he remained on oxygen for a year.

My son and I have had it pretty rough! But that doesn’t stop us from living every day in the moment, and celebrating our little wins. Any support helps, love you all