Imagine for a moment that your life depends on something beyond your control—something so vital that without it, your ability to live a normal life would be stripped away. This is not a hypothetical for me; it is my reality. I am Don Schmidt, a 62-year-old man who has been living with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) for several years. Three years ago, my kidneys deteriorated to the point where dialysis became a part of my daily life. Now, I find myself in a situation where I need a kidney transplant to regain some semblance of normalcy. But what happens when no one steps forward?

The Silent Struggle: Living with Chronic Kidney Disease

CKD is a silent thief. It creeps up on you slowly, robbing you of your energy, your independence, and eventually, your hope. The daily routines that once seemed so mundane—drinking a cup of coffee, going for a walk, even sleeping through the night—become monumental tasks. Dialysis, while life-sustaining, is a constant reminder of your body’s betrayal. It is a time-consuming process that drains you physically and mentally, leaving little room for anything else. It is not a cure; it is a temporary measure, a holding pattern until something better comes along.

The Emotional Toll: A Life on Pause

Living with CKD and being on dialysis feels like living in a state of limbo. Every day is a waiting game—waiting for the next dialysis session, waiting for your name to come up on the transplant list, waiting for a miracle. But what do you do when that miracle does not come? When no one steps forward to offer the gift of life? It is a question that haunts me daily. The uncertainty is suffocating, and the emotional toll is immense. You start to question your worth, your value to those around you. Are you not worth saving? Why hasn’t someone stepped forward? It is a dark place to be, one that I would not wish on anyone.

The Search for a Living Donor: A Plea for Life

Finding a living donor is no easy task. It is not like asking for a cup of sugar from your neighbor. You are asking someone to make an enormous sacrifice, to undergo major surgery, to give up a part of themselves for you. It’s a humbling and terrifying position to be in. I have reached out to family, friends, and even strangers, hoping that someone, somewhere, might be willing to give me a chance at life. But the silence is deafening.

What Would You Do?

So, I ask you—what would you do if you were in my shoes? If your life depended on the kindness and generosity of others, but no one stepped forward? Would you give up? Would you resign yourself to a life of endless dialysis sessions and a slow, painful decline? Or would you keep fighting, keep hoping that someone, somewhere, might hear your plea and decide to help?

The Power of Kindness: A Call to Action

Kindness is a powerful thing. It can transform lives, to give hope where there was none. If you have ever considered becoming an organ donor, I urge you to take that step. You have the power to save a life, to give someone like me the chance to lead a normal life again. It is a selfless act that can make a world of difference.

The Reality of Dialysis: A Life in Fragmented Time

For those unfamiliar with dialysis, let me paint a picture of what life on this treatment looks like. Imagine being tethered to a machine for hours at a time, multiple days a week. Each session is an ordeal—physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s not just about the hours spent hooked up to the machine; it’s the exhaustion that follows, the feeling that your body is slowly being drained of life.

Dialysis is not just a medical treatment; it is a sentence of fragmented time. Your life is no longer your own; it is divided into blocks of treatment, recovery, and brief moments of respite before the cycle begins again. You watch the days slip away, knowing that every session is merely keeping you alive for the next. It is hard to plan for the future when your present is so consumed by the relentless demands of staying alive.

Living in the Shadow of Mortality

When you live with CKD and rely on dialysis, mortality is never far from your thoughts. You become acutely aware of the fragility of life. Each day is a gift, but it is also a reminder that time is running out. The need for a kidney transplant is not just about improving quality of life; it is about survival. Without a transplant, the clock ticks faster, and the shadow of mortality looms larger.

There is a constant, gnawing anxiety that comes with this awareness. It is not just about the fear of death, but the fear of what kind of life you will lead if you do not find a donor. Will you be able to continue your work, pursue your passions, spend quality time with loved ones? Or will you become a prisoner of your own body, confined to a cycle of treatment and fatigue?

The Search for Hope: Finding Light in the Darkness

During this struggle, hope becomes both a lifeline and a burden. Hope keeps you going, pushes you to reach out, to keep searching for a donor, to believe that there is a better future waiting for you. But hope can also be cruel. Each day that passes without a donor is a day where hope feels more like a distant dream than a reality. It is a delicate balance—holding onto hope without letting it break you.

What keeps me going is the belief that somewhere out there, there is someone who will hear my story and decide to help. That belief is what gets me through the long hours of dialysis, the sleepless nights, the moments of despair. It is the light in the darkness, the reason I keep fighting.

The Unseen Impact: How CKD Affects Every Aspect of Life

It is important to understand that CKD does not just affect your kidneys—it affects every aspect of your life. Your physical health, your mental well-being, your relationships, your work, your finances—everything is touched by this disease. The constant fatigue makes it difficult to maintain the same level of productivity at work, to keep up with the demands of daily life. The emotional toll strains relationships, as loved ones try to support you but often struggle to understand the full extent of what you are going through.

Financially, the burden is immense. Medical bills pile up, and the cost of ongoing treatment can be overwhelming. Even with insurance, the out-of-pocket expenses are significant, and the financial strain adds to the already heavy burden you carry.

Why Living Donation Matters: The Gift of Life

Living donation is one of the most selfless acts a person can perform. It is a gift that cannot be measured in words or dollars—it is the gift of life itself. For someone like me, finding a living donor is not just about getting a kidney; it is about reclaiming my life. It is about being able to wake up in the morning without the dread of another dialysis session. It is about being able to spend time with family and friends without the constant exhaustion that dialysis brings. It is about having the energy to pursue my passions, to contribute to my community, to live fully and freely.

But living donation is not just about the recipient—it is also a profound experience for the donor. Many donors report that the act of giving has enriched their lives in ways they never imagined. They speak of a deep sense of fulfillment, of knowing that they have made a difference in the most meaningful way possible. It is a bond that lasts a lifetime, a connection that goes beyond words.

Breaking the Silence: Why We Need to Talk About Organ Donation

One of the biggest challenges in finding a living donor is the silence that surrounds organ donation. It is not a topic that comes up in everyday conversation, and there is a lot of misinformation and fear surrounding the process. Many people do not realize that they can live a healthy, normal life with just one kidney. They do not know that the surgery is safe, and that the recovery time is short.

We need to break the silence. We need to talk openly and honestly about organ donation, to educate people about the process, to dispel the myths and fears that keep potential donors from coming forward. We need to create a culture of giving, where the act of donating an organ is seen as a natural extension of our commitment to helping others.

A Call to Action: What You Can Do

So, what can you do? How can you help? The answer is simple—consider becoming a living donor. If you are in good health and have the means to do so, I urge you to think about the impact you could have on someone’s life. It is not just about giving an organ—it is about giving hope, giving time, giving a future.

But even if you cannot become a donor yourself, there are other ways to help. You can spread the word, share my story, talk to your friends and family about organ donation. You can support organizations that promote living donation, that work to match donors with recipients, that provide support to those going through the process. Every little bit helps, and together, we can make a difference.

In My Shoes: A Final Reflection

As I sit here, writing these words, I am filled with a mixture of emotions—hope, fear, gratitude, and a deep longing for the day when I can live without the shadow of CKD hanging over me. I do not know what the future holds, but I do know this: I will keep fighting, keep hoping, keep reaching out in the belief that someone, somewhere, will hear my plea and decide to step forward.

So, I ask you again—what would you do if you needed a kidney transplant to lead a normal life and no one stepped forward? Put yourself in my shoes for a moment and think about the impact you could have. You have the power to save a life, to change a life, to give someone like me the chance to live fully and freely again. And for that, I would be forever grateful.