05/20/2023
Dear Friends,
Some of you may know that I’m a Christian pianist who has been a worship leader for many years. However, some of you may not know that I need a kidney transplant.
My kidneys were already somewhat compromised, but a couple of years ago the doctors confirmed I had kidney disease which worsened after I had covid to the point that they could no longer function well enough to sustain my life. This is what I am facing now. My treatment options are limited to dialysis treatments, or a kidney transplant.
For over a year now, I’ve been undergoing regular dialysis treatments seven nights a week in eight hour increments. Dialysis helps my kidneys keep me alive, but a transplant would offer me more freedom and ability to live a longer, healthier, more normal life. It would allow me to fully pursue my calling and have more time to do the things I enjoy most - spending time with my friends and family, especially my wife, son and three grandchildren.
However, finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. Just ask the 100,000+ people on the wait list for a deceased donor kidney, like me. Time is not on our side. Some wait for years; many die while waiting. The average wait time is five years or more for a kidney from a deceased donor. However, there is another option: receiving a kidney from a living donor.
Asking a family member or friend to consider donating a kidney to me is difficult, but it greatly improves my chances of getting a transplant. A living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better function.
You might not know a lot about living donation - I know I didn’t before kidney disease affected my life. Understandably, some people have concerns about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them. Here’s some basic information about kidney donation:
• You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life.
• Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.
• The recuperation period is usually fairly quick, generally two weeks.
• The cost of your evaluation and surgery would be covered by my insurance.
(The hospital can give you extensive information on this.)
• You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate you as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and benefits and look out for YOUR best interests. You can also learn more about living donations on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: www.kidney.org/livingdonation
THE BIG ASK:THE BIG GIVE - Start a conversation about living organ donation www.kidney.org or by contacting the NKF’s free, confidential helpline at 855.NKF.CARES (855.653.2273). If you’d like to talk to someone who’s already donated a kidney, NKF can also help.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If donating a kidney to me is something you would like to prayerfully consider, you can explore the process of determining if you are a match by contacting my transplant center directly at LIVINGDONORREG.UPMC.COM or call 833-683-3555
However, I know living donation may not be right for everyone — but you can still help! Consider being an organ donor after death, and also, help me by sharing my story with everyone you know. At the very least I want to bring awareness to kidney disease and living donation. I am hopeful my efforts will help me receive a kidney sooner and encourage others to consider helping the many people on the wait list.
In closing, thank you for taking the time to read and share my story. Sometimes the Lord can work in miraculous ways to meet our needs, but often times He uses His Body, the body of Christ to reach out. As I go through this time of transition, I pray for each one of you the words that My Heavenly Father gave me to stand on. It’s from the chorus of the Gaither song; Because He lives. (The piano link is posted above.)
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know, I Know He holds the future. And life is worth the living, just because He lives. May you believe and receive that for yourself through all you may be facing,
Thank you,
Jeffrey John Painter
30 million people in the U.S. have kidney disease but only 10% know it. NKF is a lifeline for all people affected by kidney disease—the largest public health issue you'll ever hear about.
