When Family Needs Help, You Do What You Can

What would you do if you, or a family member, were told your kidneys were failing and that you needed to find possible kidney donors immediately?

You would do whatever you could, I bet.

This was the message that doctors delivered just last week to Liza Muise, a Procurement Specialist here in the Mississauga Business Unit.

15 years ago, Liza was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD).

PKD is a hereditary condition that affects nearly 1 in 1,000 people and can strike at any time.

Liza inherited PKD from her father, who passed away last year after fighting the disease for many, many years.

PKD causes multiple fluid-filled cysts to form in the kidneys that cause kidney failure, leaving less than 10-15% of total kidney function. When the kidneys fail, dialysis treatment or a kidney transplant is needed.

Not everyone with PKD will go on to develop kidney failure, but since Liza’s diagnosis 15 years ago, her condition has continued to deteriorate to the point where she now needs a kidney transplant.

Our Liza

I first met Liza in June 2006 when I joined Creation Technologies—Mississauga.

She came into my office and introduced herself to “the new guy”, letting me know that not much happened within the Business Unit that she was unaware of or involved in.

And no wonder! Not only is Liza a Procurement Specialist, she helped cover Reception, was a member of the Social Committee, led the First-Aid Team and had been involved in almost every event since Creation’s inception in Ontario back in 1998.

During her 13-years with Creation, Liza has donated much time and effort to these and other various committees and groups, as well as bringing her skills and passion to the Supply Chain Team and her Customer-Focused Team.

Over time, Liza and I have become strong teammates and friends. I can always rely on her to “tell it like it is”.

So, when she came to tell me her news, I knew I had to reach out to all of our Creation family to ask for help and prayers.

Liza Needs A Kidney

Liza’s doctors have recommended that she try to find possible kidney donors as soon as possible.

Very soon, she’ll have to undergo regular dialysis treatments in order to try and maintain her quality of life. According to her kidney specialist, having a transplant before dialysis begins is always the best solution if at all possible.

Due to the rules and regulations around transplants, Liza cannot go on the “official transplant list” until her kidneys have completely failed.

She’s on her own to start the search immediately.

Becoming a Kidney Donor & Saving a Life

According to The Kidney Foundation of Canada, normally everyone has two kidneys, but we can live a healthy life with one.

Making the decision to become a Living Kidney Donor is probably one of the biggest decisions you can make.

Being a Living Kidney Donor means that you freely decide to donate a kidney to save the life of someone in need of a transplant. For some basic information on donating a kidney, visit the Living Donation page on The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s website.

If you’re interested in getting tested to see if you’re a possible match for Liza, see your doctor for specialized blood tests. Contact me and we can help make sure the results are sent to Liza’s kidney specialist.

 

So what would you do if you, or a family member, were told your kidneys were failing and that you needed to find possible kidney donors immediately?

You would do whatever you could, I bet.

We will too.

Have you ever considered organ donation? Would you consider kidney donation to help Liza?