Emma Kearns, a 24-year-old woman from Dunloy, Northern Ireland, is living with Stage 5 renal failure and is currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. Kearns has had lifelong kidney problems, but her health suddenly deteriorated earlier this year, causing her kidney function to drop to just 15%. She had to abruptly leave her life in Liverpool and return home to Northern Ireland. Although advanced kidney failure is rare in younger people like Kearns, the Northern Ireland Kidney Patients Association has provided valuable support as she waits for a kidney transplant. She is on the deceased donor list and family members are also being tested to see if they could be a living donor match. Kearns expressed feelings of guilt for needing a kidney and mentioned that recipients may not talk about the guilt they feel. Despite these challenges, she remains hopeful for a kidney transplant and hopes that sharing her story can help others in similar situations.
