“My creatinine levels were off the charts. That’s when I saw my first nephrologist, who told me I had kidney failure from IgAN and needed to start dialysis.
I underwent dialysis for a year – three hours per visit, three times per week. When not on dialysis, I was in bed. I had to stop going to school. Even a simple task like grocery shopping would leave me with no energy to bring the groceries in from the car. At the time, I was very resentful. I felt like I’d been doing everything right and couldn’t understand why this was happening to me.
I received my first kidney transplant from my mother at age 23. Although my body initially rejected it, the kidney eventually acclimated to my body and lasted 13 years – which is considered a success! I finished college, got married, got a job at a prestigious preschool, and had my “miracle baby,” Griffin. Soon after my son was born, my kidney function began to decline. About five years later, I had my second kidney transplant, this time from my brother-in-law.
I’m fortunate that my second kidney has been a great one so far! However, being a transplant recipient means I can no longer do some of the things I love. I’ve been teaching for 20 years – every age from babies to college students – and pre-COVID, I ran a successful preschool in Santa Monica, California. I truly believe I was born to be a teacher. I currently teach a college class on Zoom, but unfortunately, I can’t be in a classroom full of children right now and that breaks my heart.
My son, Griffin, is my world. We love to travel together – we’ve been to Iceland, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy and the Philippines, just to name a few countries. If I could say anything to the scientists and clinicians who are pursuing a cure for IgAN, I would want them to know his name – to know that any progress they make will allow me to secure more years with him.”