TEXAS, USA: Kelly McCrae, a resilient 49-year-old from North Texas, is in a fight against time. After losing a kidney to cancer at the tender age of three, McCrae lived cautiously to preserve her remaining kidney. But in August 2021, her worst fears materialized when she was rushed to the hospital with severe back pain, only to find her solitary kidney functioning at a mere 16 percent.
Despite her inclusion on the national kidney transplant list, McCrae has yet to find a donor match. This January, an alarming deterioration saw her kidney function plummet to just 3 percent, leading to a rigorous schedule of dialysis treatments three times a week. In a bid to secure a life-saving donation, McCrae has embraced the power of social media and community outreach. With a campaign titled “kidney for Kelly,” she’s displayed billboards across her hometown and shared her story on platforms like Facebook, hoping to inspire someone to become her savior.
Dr. Hassan Ibrahim, the medical director of the live donor program at Baylor Scott & White, underscores the importance of live kidney donations over waiting on national lists, which often favor patients enduring longer dialysis treatments or children due to their lifespan potential. Ibrahim seeks to dispel myths around kidney donation, citing robust research indicating less than a one percent chance of future kidney failure for donors.
McCrae’s plight highlights an urgent and common tale – the critical necessity for organ donors. Despite her personal struggles, she also advocates for others in similar situations, reinforcing the broader community need. As she looks hopefully for a hero, her quest embodies a profound narrative of survival, helping illuminate the pathways through which lives can be saved through donation.
