Dear Friends,

I am writing to you today to share my story and ask for your help. As some of you may know, I have End Stage Renal Disease, which means my kidneys are no longer working well enough to keep me alive. I am faced with two options: regular dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.

Dialysis treatments, while keeping me alive, are not a long-term solution. A transplant would offer me the freedom and ability to live a longer, healthier, and more normal life, allowing me to spend more time with my family and friends. Unfortunately, finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. With over 100,000 people on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney, the average wait time is five years or more. Many people die while waiting.

However, there is another option: receiving a kidney from a living donor. While asking a family member or friend to consider donating a kidney is difficult, it greatly improves my chances of getting a transplant. Living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better function.

In January of 2023 I received a Kidney Transplant from a Living Donor. There was some pain when I woke up from surgery, but after a few days I was back home and sleeping in my own bed. There were some major changes to my every day life, and I was able to adjust to them. For 6 weeks things were great! Even with Doctor appointments and blood draws twice a week, and having to triple my fluid intake. Unfortunately there were some complications and the transplanted kidney had to be explanted. I am now searching for another Living Donor.

I understand that donating a kidney is a major decision and that many people have concerns about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them. However, here are some important facts to consider:

• Most people 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 will be covered by my insurance, and 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.

I am hopeful that you will consider donating a kidney to me or sharing my story with others who might be interested in helping. If you are interested in exploring the process of determining if you are a match for me, I would be happy to tell you more about my story and answer any questions you might have.

However, if donating a kidney is not something you are comfortable with, there are still other ways you can 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, and I am hopeful that my efforts will help me receive a kidney sooner and encourage others to consider helping the many people on the waitlist.

Please fill out the form below to find out how to donate your kidney to help me out.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for your consideration.

Sincerely,

-Tito