In 2009, Anna had her left kidney removed due to cancer. During the surgery, they made a mistake & clamped off the blood supply to her right kidney, which caused it to die.Loss of her son @ the age of 31. She needs someone with blood Type A or O
Description
We are writing to you about our sister Anna Marie Ruffattola McKinney. It’s to let you know about her current health challenges, and how you can help. This is not an easy letter for us to write, but we know that without sending this, someone who might be interested in helping won’t have that opportunity.
In 2009, our sister Anna underwent surgery to remove her left kidney due to cancer. When the... surgeons were operating to remove her left kidney using a da Vinci robot, they made a mistake and clamped off the blood supply to her right kidney which caused it to die. Because of that error, she was left with no renal function and she currently suffers from kidney failure.
Anna has been on dialysis for almost three years. She began doing dialysis in a local clinic three days a week; however, that did not work for her. She never had a day where she felt well - she was always exhausted. They looked for other options, and researched at-home dialysis. Although the daily dialysis is much better, it is very difficult for Anna to have a normal life – everything must center on the dialysis, which takes 3-4 hours a day – sometimes longer. In addition to frequent leg cramps and blood pressure issues, Anna suffers from exhaustion and shortness of breath. Life as a dialysis patient is not easy.
Anna has always been there to help others, and she really has a positive attitude about her health issues, despite everything that has happened to her. When her older son J.T. was five-years-old, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He was in remission for three years but then required a bone marrow transplant when his condition declined. He beat the odds and survived. However, at the age of 30, he developed hepatitis from a blood transfusion he received before the transplant. In 2002, one month before his 31st birthday, J. T. lost his battle. We all miss J.T. and our hearts ached for our sister as she deals with the loss. Now, our hearts ache again because Anna is the one who needs help.
In January, Anna was placed on the list for a kidney transplant; however, we realize it could take years to find a donor. My younger sister and I both have high blood pressure, so we are not able to donate a kidney. The wait for a deceased donor is quite long, yet the benefits of receiving a kidney from a living donor are much greater. The wait for a deceased donor is 5+ years and a kidney from a living donor lasts twice as long as one from a deceased donor.
“Anna needs a new kidney, and we hope you will consider being tested to be a donor.” I know that the need for kidney transplants is extensive, and that the need is grave. Anna, as well as many, many others needs and deserves a second chance of regaining her life back.
If you can help, please do. If you know anyone who might, please forward this on. Forwarding this to your family, friends, work, school, congregation, or any other communities you belong to would be most gratefully appreciated. Any assistance anyone would be able to offer would be greatly appreciated.
If you would like to learn more about living kidney donation, please feel free to contact us or Anna’s transplant coordinator, Katrina Reedus - Kidney Transplant Clinic Coordinator, IU Medical Center, 500 n. University Blvd, Room 4601, Indianapolis, IN 46202 @ 317-944-4370 or kreedus@iuhealth.org.
Thank you so much!
Jeannette Ruffattola Fulmer jr.fulmer@comcast.net
Mary Ann Ruffattola Nicoson manicoson@gmail.com
In 2009, our sister Anna underwent surgery to remove her left kidney due to cancer. When the... surgeons were operating to remove her left kidney using a da Vinci robot, they made a mistake and clamped off the blood supply to her right kidney which caused it to die. Because of that error, she was left with no renal function and she currently suffers from kidney failure.
Anna has been on dialysis for almost three years. She began doing dialysis in a local clinic three days a week; however, that did not work for her. She never had a day where she felt well - she was always exhausted. They looked for other options, and researched at-home dialysis. Although the daily dialysis is much better, it is very difficult for Anna to have a normal life – everything must center on the dialysis, which takes 3-4 hours a day – sometimes longer. In addition to frequent leg cramps and blood pressure issues, Anna suffers from exhaustion and shortness of breath. Life as a dialysis patient is not easy.
Anna has always been there to help others, and she really has a positive attitude about her health issues, despite everything that has happened to her. When her older son J.T. was five-years-old, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He was in remission for three years but then required a bone marrow transplant when his condition declined. He beat the odds and survived. However, at the age of 30, he developed hepatitis from a blood transfusion he received before the transplant. In 2002, one month before his 31st birthday, J. T. lost his battle. We all miss J.T. and our hearts ached for our sister as she deals with the loss. Now, our hearts ache again because Anna is the one who needs help.
In January, Anna was placed on the list for a kidney transplant; however, we realize it could take years to find a donor. My younger sister and I both have high blood pressure, so we are not able to donate a kidney. The wait for a deceased donor is quite long, yet the benefits of receiving a kidney from a living donor are much greater. The wait for a deceased donor is 5+ years and a kidney from a living donor lasts twice as long as one from a deceased donor.
“Anna needs a new kidney, and we hope you will consider being tested to be a donor.” I know that the need for kidney transplants is extensive, and that the need is grave. Anna, as well as many, many others needs and deserves a second chance of regaining her life back.
If you can help, please do. If you know anyone who might, please forward this on. Forwarding this to your family, friends, work, school, congregation, or any other communities you belong to would be most gratefully appreciated. Any assistance anyone would be able to offer would be greatly appreciated.
If you would like to learn more about living kidney donation, please feel free to contact us or Anna’s transplant coordinator, Katrina Reedus - Kidney Transplant Clinic Coordinator, IU Medical Center, 500 n. University Blvd, Room 4601, Indianapolis, IN 46202 @ 317-944-4370 or kreedus@iuhealth.org.
Thank you so much!
Jeannette Ruffattola Fulmer jr.fulmer@comcast.net
Mary Ann Ruffattola Nicoson manicoson@gmail.com
TAGS: kidney for our sister anna, Ning, Live Journal, Tumblr, Weebly, WordPress, Facebook, Kidney Stories, Jim Myers, kidney, dialysis, blood, transfusion, donor, recipient, seeking, awareness, National Kidney Foundation, Indiana University, sharing, kidney disease, End Stage Renal Failure, polycystic kidney disease, chronic kidney disease, kidney for, diabetic, save my life, living kidney donor, organ donation, find a kidney for, NCS, share a spare, transplant list, fundraiser, donate life,
No comments:
Post a Comment