My name is Karen Dellinger and my father had PKD. So we, his children, decided to be tested to possibly give him a kidney. It was then we found that my older sister had the same disease, as it’s hereditary. Once my father found out one of his children had PKD, he refused to accept any of our kidneys as he wanted them preserved for my sister. He ended up getting a cadaver kidney, giving the gift of life for 15 years.
When my sister was 40, her kidneys failed. I gave her one of my kidneys and she was blessed with great quality of life for another 21 years. Giving her that kidney was as special to me as it was to her. There’s no greater feeling than being able to change someone’s quality of life for the better.
Unfortunately, my sister contracted sepsis and she passed away last September. Both of her boys have PKD. Her oldest son, now 41, needed a transplant. My son gave him a kidney on May 1.
This is an awful disease that we need to spread awareness about so that they can find a cure. It has affected my family all of my life and it will continue to affect my family. My sister’s younger son will also possibly need a transplant. If so, my younger son will step up to the plate for him. Our family is too aware of what a terrible disease this is and how it has impacted our lives.