Judy is the kind of person who shows up. She remembers birthdays, she makes you feel seen, and she has spent a lifetime pouring love into everyone around her. Her husband Ron, her nieces and nephews, her animals — she is the heart of her family.
Due to a birth defect, Judy has been living with kidney disease her entire life. In the last three years, her condition advanced to end-stage kidney failure. She is now on nightly dialysis — a routine that keeps her alive but has reshaped every corner of her world.
Her career as a meeting planner — a job she loves, one that requires travel and energy — has been deeply impacted. Traveling with dialysis supplies is complicated. Simple trips become logistical challenges. The life she built, piece by piece, is harder to inhabit.
"Dialysis keeps me alive. But it is not living — not the way I want to live. It limits what I can do, where I can go, and how much energy I have."— Judy, in her own words
The national waiting list for a deceased donor kidney stretches 5 to 10 years — time Judy simply may not have. A living donor changes everything. A kidney from a living donor lasts longer, functions better, and can be transplanted on a timeline that gives Judy the best possible chance at a full and vibrant life.
Despite everything, Judy has not lost her warmth, her humor, or her faith in people. She still dreams of more time with her nieces, nephews and friends, more walks with her dogs, more ordinary days that feel like gifts. She believes someone out there will choose to give her that chance.
Perhaps that person is you. Or perhaps you know who it might be. Scroll down to read Judy's letter — written in her own words, from her heart.
