There is no cure for kidney disease. While a dialysis machine acts as an artificial kidney, removing waste, chemicals and fluid from the blood, it is a stop-gap measure.  Dialysis keeps people alive, but at great cost to their quality of life. Both Bonnie and Valerie needs to be hooked up to a machine for 8-10 hours a day, every day, until they find healthy and matching kidneys.

There are also numerous potential side-effects to dialysis; discomfort, infection, blood clots, muscle cramps, interrupted sleep, low blood pressure, severely impacted quality of life...etc. Most notably, dialysis can lead to a reduced life expectancy. Also, the environmental impact of the waste created by dialysis is staggering.

Sadly the number of people awaiting a kidney far outweighs the number of kidneys available. In Canada around 3400 people are on the waiting list for a kidney (that's only 16% of those on dialysis). Additionally the survival rate for recipients of kidneys from a live donor is higher than that from deceased donors.

If you are between the ages of 18-70 and are in good general health, you are eligible to be a donor. Should you be compatible with a recipient in need, a more comprehensive testing process will confirm eligibility.

Testing for initial compatibility is an incredibly simple process.  All you need to do is fill out a 2-page document, do a cheek swab, and mail the enclosed to our supporting team. They will route your swab to healthcare professionals for testing.  Should you be a potential match, you will be referred to the proper healthcare authorities for further evaluation.

We’re happy to facilitate the process, mail you all you need for basic testing and cover the cost of sending your swabs back. 

The process of testing is a confidential, no-pressure approach. You will be in no way obliged to do anything that you are not 100% comfortable with. 

Kidney donation is a simple and common laparoscopic procedure with 3 days to a week of recovery in the hospital. It then takes 2-6 weeks until you return to your normal activities depending on the physical demands of your lifestyle.

We only need one functioning kidney to clean the waste from our bodies. In fact, some people are only born with one kidney and live their whole lives never knowing. We don’t wish kidney problems on anyone, but if by chance, you one day get this terrible disease, it typically affects both kidneys concurrently- meaning both kidneys deteriorate at the same rate. Thus, having a second kidney in no way lessens one’s experience of the disease.

On average, people wait from 3-6 years for a kidney. While the Ontario Health care system tests one potential donor at a time (which takes 3-4 months/donor), our non-profit partner, Renewal, provides supplementary services that help us to concurrently swab as many people as we can (in a delay of just 4-6 weeks!). This allows Renewal to determine initial compatibility, before putting the best candidates forward to further testing in the healthcare system.

In Bonnie’s case, her 2% odds of finding a kidney are much lower, so we don't have the time to wait for traditional processes.

Renewal is a non-profit entity that provides support and guidance to both donor and recipient, including (but not limited to) expert referral, covering transport, food and lodging costs for donors and a loved one who wishes to be by their side, and any other type of assistance one would need as they go through the transplant journey. 

Additionally, Renewal can help to identify donor sources of outside of the sufferers network.  In Bonnie's case, due to her unique mix of antibodies and low chances of finding a match, Renewal has already opened up their list of potential donors in NY, increasing the odds.

To learn more about Renewal, visit www.renewal.org/toronto

Kidney surgery is fully covered by the Canadian healthcare system. Other potential costs to donors (such as lost wages, travel expenses ...etc.), are covered by Renewal. We want to ensure that your choice to be a live donor has no negative financial impacts for you or your family.

You can help by sharing our story/ site with your networks, educating people about being a live donor, and signing your donor card. In Canada, currently only 15 people (per million) are live donors and only 22 people (per million) are donors at all. We are grateful for anything you can do to help!

There are many great resources on kidney donation.  Check out some of these links:

Kidney Foundation

What is Living Kidney Donation?  Canadian Blood Services

Kidney Donation National Kidney Foundation

Ontario Renal Network 

We are the family and friends of Bonnie and Valerie.  We are their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, partners, cousins and friends.  We are the people who so desperately need them and yearn to see them healthy so we can share in many more years of joy and love together.  

We are entirely independent and have started this campaign to increase the odds of finding healthy kidneys for Bonnie and Valerie. We are committed to acting solely as facilitators, referring you to the right people to manage testing and any subsequent steps.  Any and all testing, evaluation, results...etc., will be managed by the appropriate healthcare authorities.

Most importantly, we are the people who are eternally grateful for any help you can provide to share our campaign and help us find healthy kidneys for these sisters.