Why I Walk

Thank you so much for joining, donating or walking (or all!) for the 2024 NYC Kidney Walk.  This is a very special year for me and the walk.  First off, I'm excited to announce I am co-charing the walk for the 3rd consecutive year.

After having my first kidney transplant in 2016 (thanks mom!), things were going well until some routine blood work in 2022.  After a biopsy, it was discovered I have a rare kidney disease known as FSGS.  At the end of 2023, I entered kidney failure and was back on dialysis (shout out to Upper East Side Dialysis Center!)

After my first transplant, my mom and dad gifted me an Ancestry.com kit for Hanukah.  Although I  was adopted, I was mainly focused on what country I was from.  Spoiler alert - I am a VERY generic mutt of Western Europe.  Months later, I got a message on social media from my biological sister, who found me on Ancestry, and we became incredibly close ever since.

Fast forward to 2023, and my sister immediately jumped into action and told me she was donating me her kidney.  From my first date at the transplant clinic (shout out to NY Presbyterian/Weill Cornell!), it was a short 6 weeks until we were headed to the hospital for surgery.

Thanks to heroes like my mom and my sister, my family, the nurses/medical professionals/doctors/PA's/surgeons, and people like the staff of National Kidney Foundation, I was able to get back up on my feet in no time.  Join me in making sure everyone has a chance at a second life.

Please consider supporting my efforts with a generous donation. 

PC