'My life is in someone else's hands': Edmontonian looking online for kidney donor
An Edmonton woman is making a desperate plea to the public to help save her life.
Laurie Clement started noticing kidney failure symptoms around Christmas of 2010, and by July of 2011 was started on dialysis treatment in Edmonton.
After about nine months, Clement found a match: Her sister donated a kidney in July of 2013.
“Two days after transplant, the disease came back and attacked it,” she explained.
“Now I’m back at square one.”
Clement is back on dialysis with a kidney function of about seven per cent and spends six days a week at the University of Alberta Hospital.
High doses of prednisone, an anti-rejection drug, has led to other health complications. Clement now has holes in her retinas and is considered legally blind.
“I need a kidney and hopefully soon,” she said. “I want to get back to living life.”
'IT'S OUT OF MY CONTROL'
In an attempt to get the word out, Clement posted her donor plea on Facebook.
“Anything to get the word out,” she said.
Within hours of posting, Clement had received dozens of messages from people sharing their story, sending support and others asking how to help.
“It was just boom, boom, boom, constant, within just a couple minutes of it being approved,” she said.
Clement was taken aback by the community response, recalling how emotional she felt in the moment and even “hopeful" she could one day find a donor.
“It’s out of my control, my life is in someone else’s hands.”
'HOPEFULLY WE'LL FIND A MATCH'
Since the diagnosis, Clement shared that she still has so much to live for and really tries to “embrace life” now as much as possible.
“When this first happened I didn’t think I would be a grandparent,” she explained, taking a long pause to hold back the tears.
“Now I have a five-year-old grandson and I want more of that.”
The massive impact this journey has had on the family weighs heavily on Clement’s mind. She said her kidney disease is “all consuming,” and feels immense guilt about the pressure it’s put on her loved ones.
“There’s actually more bad days than good days,” Steve Clement, her husband explained. “So sometimes she’s in bed almost all day and somebody has to pick up the slack.”
“And do everything,” she added.
“It's part of my vows for better or worse, ‘I love you,’” he said, as he turned to look at her.
“I’ll do whatever I can to do it and hopefully we’ll find a match for you.”
According to Clement, 16 strangers have offered to get tested to see if they’re a match.
“I can take any blood type as long as I have someone who can donate,” she explained.
“It’s not just signing the donor card, it's donating while people are alive.”
For more information on Clement's Facebook post, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
Freeland tables motion previewing omnibus budget bill
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass the sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget.
Judge holds Trump in contempt, fines him US$9,000 and raises threat of jail in hush money trial
Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined US$9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. If he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
Court upholds Milwaukee police officer's firing for posting racist memes after Sterling Brown arrest
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a former Milwaukee police officer was properly fired for posting racist memes related to the arrest of an NBA player that triggered a public outcry.
New cancer treatment approved, but not everyone thinks it's what's best for patients
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.
T. rex is at the centre of a debate over dinosaur intelligence
Surmising even the physical appearance of a dinosaur - or any extinct animal - based on its fossils is a tricky proposition, with so many uncertainties involved. Assessing a dinosaur's intelligence, considering the innumerable factors contributing to that trait, is exponentially more difficult.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.