48 State – 100 Kidneys For Kids Challenge

Kidneys For Kids “100 Kidneys For 100 KIDS” 48 State C

https://fundrazr.com/1278q7?ref=fb_6C0NS6_ab_6166a0

Story: In 2012, I read a newspaper story about a  10-year-old girl from our town who needed a kidney transplant. I did not  know her, but almost two years prior, I had tried to help a friend who  also needed a kidney transplant by offering to become his paired kidney  donor (If you do not match a person directly in blood and tissue type,  you can donate to someone you may never meet, and push your friend or  loved on to the top of the kidney transplant list, so they will receive  their need kidney)

I was taken back by this girl’s mother, who had put aside pride or  caring what anyone thought of her; she had made a sign from a pink piece  of construction paper and wrote-“MY DAUGHTER NEEDS A KIDNEY, I CANNOT  LOSE HER. PLEASE HELP””    https://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/2012/09/bay_city_girl_jessica_schwerin.html    Two days later, I called the mother’s phone number from the story  and found I was her daughter’s blood type. I then contacted The  University of Michigan Transplant Center to be tested for Jessica- the  young girl who would change my life. Within two weeks, I was notified  that I was a one-in-100,000 match for Jessica, and after talking with  family members and close friends, I committed to being her donor.  Jessica and her mother were notified the day before Thanksgiving, -2012  that Jessica had a donor. They were elated, and after being introduced  in December, we rode together to our transplant surgeries in a donated  limousine and on January 11, 2013; Jessica received my left kidney. https://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/2013/01/10_year-old_jessica_schwerin_a.html

Both surgeries were a complete success, and Jessica began a  new-healthy life. And we started a bond that would grow for almost ten  years now. Jessica is now 20, healthy, in college, and on the board of  directors for my non-profit, Kidneys For Kids. Seeing what my kidney did  for her is why I must complete a trip for other children, which I  started this year and will continue in May 2023. This 48-state-50-city  journey aims to inspire 100 adults to come forward and become kidney  donors for 100 kids. Below, you will read the following reasons I need  your support today: to complete this ambitious mission and see others  become kidney donors to save more kids’ lives.

Fundraising Goal: $22,500

Time Limit- December 31st

Reasons To Support This Life-Saving Journey:

• In March of this year, after advocating for an adult friend who  needs her 2nd kidney transplant in a Tv story- and seeing her receive a  great response, I founded Kidneys For Kids, since I had donated to a  child. I want to see the over 1100 kids on the kidney transplant list  and the over 4000 others in renal failure who will need a kidney have a  better chance of finding a kidney donor. And I want our non-profit  mission to help families of children who are in kidney failure or  receiving a transplant, with costs of prescriptions and treatments not  covered by insurance or other resources. I then decided I needed to take  action and set an example to lead others to help these children who  need the gift of life. So I put together a plan for a marathon 48  state-50 city trip (in an electric vehicle no less to advocate in a  responsible manner), planning to visit transplant hospitals, kidney  foundations,and just talk with anyone who would listen and schedule Tv  and newspaper interviews-where I would present facts about becoming a  living kidney donor to a child, and how a person could save a child’s  life, while continuing to live a normal life themselves.

• Well, even the best of intentions can become an enormous task to  actually complete, as I found out. After many delays, cancellations, and  promises of sponsorship to help me complete this trip, I set off on my  own in September- with a Chevrolet dealer lending me a Chevrolet Bolt  EV. I traveled first to Chicago, Illinois, and Jackson, Mississippi-  where I advocated for children through 2 kidney foundations in Tv  interviews. It was after that I was contacted by parents of kidney kids,  asking me if I would come to their town and advocate for their child.   So, in October, I made a track to Virginia, where I was honored to be in  2 Tv and one newspaper interview for two boys- one only 16 months old,   and the other 11 years old. Both had been in kidney failure since  birth. Both stories received tremendous responses, and it was then I  knew that setting up more personal interviews for other children was the  formula to see potential donors volunteer to become a child’s hero. But  to do that, I would have to cover over 18,000 miles in my plan to cover  the 48 contiguous states, as well as to carry on 50 or more Tv and  newspaper interviews. So now, my friends, the plans for that full trip  are entirely in the works, but I need your help to save a minimum of 100  kids’ lives. And I need it today, so I can schedule Tv and newspaper  interviews in 50 cities. And plan my travel route. I must cover the  costs of electrical charging, hotel, meals, press releases, insurance,  and editing of filming in each city for our documentary on living kidney  donation to children -which will save even more lives. Are you willing  to put saving the lives of children on your Christmas list this year? I  am making a challenge to everyone reading this campaign to show you care this Christmas and make sure this life-saving journey is completed!

Please review these media links and photos, and help me get more  stories like these seen and children’s lives saved by making your donation

https://fundrazr.com/1278q7?ref=fb_6C0NS6_ab_6166a0 

today! Any funds not used on this journey will be donated directly to the Kidneys For Kids    family mission.

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/hampton/hampton-toddler-needs-kidney-donor/?fbclid=IwAR2GLQ39oEekdCSA5_0urDpoWg4bola-z2yZOlFlKR8H3aCceeI1Zq_rLJE

https://www.whsv.com/2022/10/21/11-year-old-elkton-boy-need-kidney-donor/?fbclid=IwAR3tCZxiA6Rld-YQMvxStVNvVj04rmgMdXLTYT6FykdKFalIsPTiq4axYvM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8z8AvWMnq4&list=PLnpNks8ipcSdfpgZJkrWvASZxxh93eJRt&index=5

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