Krystle Pitts, a performer and employee at the Ryan Nece Foundation, has overcome her battle with end-stage kidney failure and is now using her experience to help others facing the same challenge. Pitts, who received a kidney transplant on Easter Sunday in 2020 after waiting for four years on the transplant waitlist, has started a blog called Renal Royalty to offer support and guidance to those in similar situations. Pitts aims to encourage others to become organ donors and shed light on what happens after a transplant. She is particularly focused on reaching out to minorities, who often face higher rates of conditions that can lead to organ failure.
Pitts’ own kidney failure does not have a clear origin, but she suspects it could be linked to lupus or her family history of kidney disease. She now takes medication to prevent her body from rejecting the transplant. Reflecting on her experience, Pitts expresses immense gratitude to her anonymous donor and emphasizes the impact one person’s decision to become an organ donor can have on someone else’s life. She also volunteers for the LifeLink Foundation, an organization that assists in organ and tissue donation, and helps others navigate the transplant process.
In Florida, over 5,000 people are currently on the waitlist for an organ transplant, with more than half of them being minorities. Pitts’ story serves as an inspiring example of resilience and the power of organ donation, emphasizing the ongoing need for more donors to save lives and improve the quality of life for those awaiting transplants.
