Kidney for Patch

In February of 2018, I went to see the doctor after a few weeks of feeling ill, bloated, and dizzy. I'm 25 years old, and seemingly in good health -- so I didn't expect anything to be seriously wrong.

But it was.

I was diagnosed with double kidney failure. The doctor said that if I had waited another day to come in, I might have died.

The kidney failure was most likely caused by an auto-immune response. That means my own immune system attacked my organs. Now, I need to go through dialysis three times per week, to clean my blood. Furthermore, I need a kidney transplant.

Naturally, this came as a shock for someone who had been living with her family, as a normal young adult. My life was turned upside down over night.

What is needed

This was not only shocking from a health and emotional point of view, but also from a financial point of view. The HMO from my work helps cover part of my dialysis treatment, but I have trouble getting by. Even with the help of my family, it's a big financial strain on a lower middle-class Filipino family.

More importantly, I need a kidney transplant to survive. And the sooner, the better. All in all, this costs around $20,000 in the Philippines. That's not a cost that my family, nor extended family, can support.

How a kidney transplant can help

A kidney transplant is my only hope, since dialysis is not a long-term option. I have few potential donors lined up, but need help paying for her surgery in order to live. If I can get a surgery this year, it will greatly improve my quality of life in the long run.

My mother, father, sister and two brothers are all working to help raise money for my transplant. Any help is deeply, deeply appreciated.