Cleveland Clinic Figures Underscore Need: Family Seeks Kidney Donor For Teen, UK Transplant Center Urges Help

Teenager With Stage 5 kidney Failure seeks donor As Family Turns To Transplant Center

USA: A 17-year-old Berea teen, Savannah, has been diagnosed with Stage 5 kidney failure and is now on an urgent search for a kidney donor while receiving care at the University of Kentucky Transplant Center. Her kidney function was reported to be below 10 percent, and the diagnosis upended her senior year and plans to become a nurse.

Savannah is dialyzing three times a week and managing persistent symptoms such as nausea that have forced her out of in-person school and into online classes. Medical teams have moved forward with plans that include removal of both kidneys, heightening the immediacy of finding a compatible transplant to restore kidney function and quality of life.

Her parents, David and Candace, volunteered to donate but were told by clinicians that a living donation would not be feasible because Savannah’s condition is genetic, which rules them out as compatible donors. The family cites faith and local support as central to getting through the intense medical and emotional demands of dialysis and the transplant evaluation process.

Nationwide, roughly 750,000 people live with kidney failure, underscoring the critical need for donors. Those who want to learn about living kidney donation or how to support Savannah can contact the University of Kentucky Transplant Center for information on donor evaluation and transplantation options.

Video originally published on 2026-04-30 15:00:03