Chris is 51 years old. She is in End-Stage Renal Disease. Her kidney failure is due to Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). She was placed on the transplant wait-list in 2014. Her current kidney function is at less than 14%. On a bright note, she hasn't started dialysis which is a good thing but it could happen at any time. A transplant before dialysis is always better! Her transplant center is University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.

 

Chris is an amazing woman. She is a single mother who raised her three children alone. Unfortunately, her son Keith, at the young age of 17, passed away, a mother’s worst nightmare. Chris has been through so much in her life, just recently losing her Mom tragically who she was very close with and also her father two years ago. With everything she has been through, Chris is always there for her family, friends and co-workers.

 

Chris’s brother was tested and found to be a tissue match, but unfortunately was not cleared to donate. Her sister was also not cleared. Other family members are being tested, however due to a family history of a bleeding disorder; many of her relatives are ineligible. So we are turning to social media to help find a Kidney4Chris.

 

Chris was diagnosed with FSGS in 2007. She has rapidly declined over the past few years, even with aggressive medical management and treatment. End-stage renal disease is the name for kidney failure so advanced that it cannot be reversed. The name is appropriate: the kidneys in end-stage renal disease function so poorly that they can no longer keep you alive. End-stage renal disease cannot be treated with conventional medical treatments such as drugs. There are only two options which allow you to continue living when your kidneys stop functioning: dialysis and kidney transplantation. Dialysis is the term for a way of artificially filtering the blood. People who require dialysis are kept alive but give up some degree of their freedom because of their dialysis schedule, fragile health, or both. Kidney transplantation is the replacement of the failed kidneys with a working kidney from another person, called a donor. Kidney transplantation is not a complete cure, although many people who receive a kidney transplant are able to live much as they did before their kidneys failed. People who receive a transplant must take medication and be monitored by a physician who specializes in kidney disease for the rest of their lives.

 

Chris has been listed for a kidney through University of Pennsylvania (Penn Transplant Institute/Kidney Transplant Program). If you are interested in potentially being a donor please call University of Penn's Kidney Transplant Program at (215) 662-6200. When you call say you would like to be tested to be a possible donor for Christine Pieczynski (10-11-63).  You can download the Transplant Application at the bottom of this page.

 

There are two types of kidney transplants: Deceased Donors and Living Donors. Deceased donors come from the national organ donor list. Chris is on the national organ donor list, however, there are over 101,000 people waiting for kidney transplants and her chances are slim in finding a donor to stay alive. The wait time is at least 5 years or more. In addition to being on the list, Chris can take a cadaver kidney (from a deceased body through a Directed Donation in her name.)

 

A living donor candidate is a person who is healthy, well-informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be over 21 and usually under 70 years of age. They must be in good general health, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30, with no evidence of significant high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis. A living kidney donor is the best option in terms of quality of life. She needs a kidney from someone with blood type A or O. However, if you do not have compatible blood types, there is still another option. Penn participates in paired kidney exchange. This means that kidneys can be exchanged between incompatible pairs, making compatible living donor transplants. Potential donors can be located anywhere in the United States. It is important to know that all medicals costs are covered by the recipient’s health insurance.

 

As you might imagine, donating life to another is a remarkable gift that takes a great deal of thought that can only be obtained by being well informed.

 

We are hoping that Chris’ family, friends, and strangers will help us spread the word so that we can help her find a kidney donor and give her the GIFT OF LIFE.

For more information on kidney transplants, check out this link:http://www.pennmedicine.org/…/transplant…/kidney-transplant/

 

Please share this page. If you want to contact us directly, please email at kidney4chrispie@gmail.com. Thank you all so much! Help us find Chris's hero.