In honor of National Kidney Month in March, Blue Yonder associate Tisha Bailey shares her personal connection to the cause, and why spreading awareness about kidney health and organ donation is so important to her.

What is your connection to the cause?

The cause has always been important to me because my family has a history of polycystic kidney disease. For those that aren’t familiar with it, it’s a disease in which your kidneys develop cysts and over time can damage your kidney function. My dad and brother both have polycystic kidney disease, and so did my grandmother.

In 2022 you made the decision to donate a kidney to your dad. Can you tell us about that experience?

My dad’s health was suffering significantly due to his kidney disease. He was incredibly fatigued, had brain fog and his muscles were in pain. It was becoming clear that he was going to need a new kidney soon, but the problem is that there is a long waitlist to receive one (Editor’s note: The average wait time in the U.S. is typically between 3-5 years).

My dad and I share the same blood type, so I wanted to find out if I could potentially be a good match to donate a kidney to him – thankfully after medical testing, the match was confirmed.

Did it take some time to decide whether to donate a kidney?

The decision was easy for me, there was no question in my mind. I knew that I wanted to help – it almost felt like a purpose, and I was meant to do this.  However, for my dad it was more of a process to be open to accepting a kidney donation from his daughter – he had concerns about the procedure, recovery, how it could impact my life, etc. It took time but, ultimately, we decided it was going to be the best and quickest route forward. 

What happened next?

This month we’re celebrating one year since the donation! On March 7, 2023, I went in for the surgery and my left kidney was donated to him. It was about a six-week recovery process for me, and longer for my dad as the recipient. Thankfully we had family travel to town to help us during that time – we were very fortunate to have wonderful support. Today we’re both doing great – it brings me so much joy to see my dad healthy and having a much better quality of life.  

What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?  

If you ever come across someone that needs a kidney, be willing to consider learning whether you could be a match. You can live a very full life with only one kidney, while saving someone else’s.

For more information on National Kidney Month and Kidney Health please visit: www.kidney.org. To learn more about organ donation, visit unos.org.