I gave my left kidney to a fraternity brother and close friend after hearing about his kidney function depleting to a mere 8% and leaving him in end stage renal failure due to IGA nephropathy.
IGA is a genetic disorder which basically means his immune system saw his kidneys as invaders and attacked them. Initially he had high blood pressure, but then the IGA ended up doing him in. He was able to be on in-home dialysis, and then after much testing we had our transplant on 7/17/2014. You can read ALL about it here!
I’m rocking one kidney playing with my three boys (now 7, 5, and 11 months), volunteering for the Minnesota STEM organization teaching kids about science and engineering, and being an avid app developer for Windows Phone.
Our family traveled to Arkansas on our first “big” family vacation this past summer, and plan on going to Madeline Island (again) this coming summer! We love kayaking, canoeing, swimming, and snow tubing with neighbors!
My recipient is doing awesome and enjoyed his first family holiday with his wife and two little daughters, traveling to various parties and appreciating his newfound freedom. The only thing I’ve done to change my lifestyle is to drink more water – which I recommend to everybody!
What an inspiring journey and outcome! Best wishes to you and Brian for continued good health. Rock on, Brandon!
Brandon’s easy-to-comprehend summary of IGA nephropathy makes me think he’s probably very good at teaching kids about science and engineering — he was able to get an old man like me to understand it! Congratulations to both on the successful transplant.