Battling For Brett

Hi.
My name is Brett Epps. I’m 26 years old, a former wrestling champion and physical fitness buff, and up until October 2014, I had never been sick a day in my life. I graduated from Elizabethtown College in PA in 2010, and I had my whole life in front of me. I moved to North Carolina and began working and planning for the future.
But a short time ago, I was rushed to the hospital with extremely high blood pressure. There, I was diagnosed with a kidney disease I never heard of, much less knew I had. It’s called FSGS—old fashioned doctors called it “Nephrotic Syndrome”—and it was attacking my kidneys without me even knowing.
By the time I was released from the hospital, my kidneys were functioning at just 13% of capacity. My doctor here in North Carolina, an excellent physician, advised me that I would need to go on dialysis in preparation for a kidney transplant.

Unfortunately, this disease has caught me "between insurances," and I may have to foot a large portion of my medical bills by myself.

And now I’m also in the process of finding a kidney. I’m pursuing a living donation because a kidney from a living donor lasts about twice as long as one from a deceased donor, and the wait for a deceased donor could be five to ten years.

I am telling my story in the hope that those who visit here will share it, and hopefully, someone will be willing to be my Living Donor.

What does it take to be a living donor? You can read this link which will separate the myths from the facts. Or you can follow this link to get an overview. Or you can learn more here at the FAQ link.

But what it really takes to be a donor is simply love. You are giving the gift of life to someone—someone you may not even know. But you will know you saved that someone’s life.

I’d like to be your someone.
With hope,
Brett Epps