Living with fourth-stage kidney disease is very difficult. I have only 14% function of my kidneys and I have diabetes. My day-to-day activities are so constant that I am having to rely on many people to help me. My doctor says I will go on dialysis before the end of the year if I don’t find a living kidney donor.

Have you ever considered being a living kidney donor?

There are minimal health complications for both donor and recipient.

Living kidney donors are offered home care if they would like it. All donor bills — hospital stay, medications, home care — are paid for by a donor acquisition fund and the kidney recipient’s insurance.

I am asking you to consider being a living kidney donor.

I want to experience my grandchildren grow up. Being with them brings joy to my life. My grandson just turned 2 years old and my granddaughter just celebrated her eighth birthday.

There was a joint birthday party for them, but I could not go because I am high risk of getting COVID-19. I stay away from large groups because they could be super-spreaders.

In the United States, there are more than 100,000 people waiting for a deceased donor kidney transplant. That is why it takes five to seven years to get a kidney transplant.

My blood type is “O Positive.” The only blood type compatible with mine is "O." A donor could be either “O Positive” or “O Negative.”

The success rate of transplants from living donors is higher than kidneys of deceased donors.

Donation of a living kidney will greatly increase my quality of life and prevent dialysis which cannot be performed forever. If I do not find a living donor, I would start dialysis by the end of the year.

Dialysis is not a pleasant experience. It usually is done three times a week for three hours per day.

As a retired journalist for The Advance of Bucks County, Yardley News and BucksLocalNews.com, I focused a good deal of my time on my hope to make this world a better place and sharing the words, “peace, love and harmony”. My goal is to inspire others about the good in the world.

Thank you so very much for considering being a donor.

If you are moved to learn more, please send an email to kidneytransplant1234@gmail.com with your full name, phone number so I can answer any concerns or questions you may have.

Petra Chesner Schlatter lives in Middletown.