Health Update 6/10/22
My name is Michael De Vries, and this is a picture of me, my Mom, my Dad, my two sisters, and my girlfriend. I started New Life Leatherworks in 2020 after my second liver transplant to celebrate the gift of life that was given to me. Over the last two and a half years, I was able to finally graduate college with a major in History and a Minor in Secondary Education. I plan to become a high school history teacher. Although my liver has remained healthy up until this point, the immunosuppressive medication that I am required to take has damaged my kidneys. My doctors have recommended that I receive a living donor kidney transplant as soon as possible. Luckily, if I receive a living donor kidney transplant in the near future, I can avoid dialysis, which would significantly decrease my quality of life.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), there are over 100,000 patients on the organ transplant waiting list. 85% of these patients are waiting for a kidney transplant. The average wait time for a kidney is three to five years, and many people do not live long enough to receive life-saving organs. Finding a living donor is my best option for regaining my health. What many people do not know is that a person can live a full and healthy life with only one kidney. Donating a kidney involves minimal risk for the donor and gives the recipient a chance to live a healthy life again. Living kidney transplants actually have more successful health outcomes than deceased donor kidney transplants.
Despite this diagnosis, I am confident that I can regain my health again if I find a kidney donor. My family is currently in the process of being evaluated to be living donors. We are also actively looking for a living donor outside of our family as well to increase the likelihood of finding a match. If you would like to learn more about living donor kidney transplantation, please visit https://www.nm.org/conditions-and-care-areas/organ-transplantation/kidney-transplantation/donors for more information and/or feel free to contact me with any questions at info@newlifeleatherworks.com. Thank you for your support, and live well!
*** If you are interested in starting the process of becoming my living kidney donor, please fill out the following survey: https://www.nmlivingdonor.org/ ***
Other Resources to learn more about Kidney Donation:
https://www.donatelife.net/types-of-donation/kidney-donation/
