Jana missed out on a normal childhood.

She spent the ages of 5 to12 on dialysis, which made it hard to concentrate at school. She got through thanks to her friends, some of whom are still there for her. At the age of 12 she received her first kidney transplant, which doctors expected to last 3 – 4 years. She made it to 11.

In her twenties, she needed a second transplant, which lasted 8 years. By October of 2005, she once again required dialysis 2 – 3 times a week, thus robbing her the normal life of a twenty and thirty-something. She is currently waiting for a third donor and is facing the possible reality of living on dialysis for the rest of her days. She’s had a few negative years trying to adjust to this reality.

Jana’s case is unfairly unique. She has the rarest blood type, O-, plus she is highly sensitized from her previous transplants, which means she has lots of antibodies that will react with any donor kidney. On a scale of 100, pretty much 100 people won’t match her anymore. Yet, she is still hoping for a diamond in rough that will be just close enough to give her a chance at a normal life.

"I would like to dedicate this story to my childhood kidney friends who have passed before. I fight now not only for myself but for my fallen warriors!” Jana Sadler