Edith Needs A Gift Of Life

Who Am I?

My name is Edith Jacobs and I am a single active woman who is involved with various volunteer work and charities that enable me to contribute to humanity and my community. I am gratefully a year-round resident of Rockport, Massachusetts and graduated from Needham High School in Needham, Massachusetts in 1973 and attended Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Psychology in 1977. I worked for the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services and also at another human services administration agency prior to beginning in 1981 my life long career at Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) with the Social Security Disability Program. At MRC, I had a variety of positions, culminating as a Hearing Officer. One of the proudest contributions professionally was my outreach to homeless shelters. During these visits, I helped people at the shelters to complete their disability applications who would have otherwise been overwhelmed at the field offices. My expertise, guidance and compassion enabled me to help them to provide essential information, especially where longitudinal mental health histories were needed that made the difference in an allowance of benefits instead of a denial. While working full time at Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, I earned a Master of Science (MS) in Human Services at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, graduating in 1993 from the College of Public and Community Service. I retired in 2017 after 38 years with MRC with the desire and determination to continue my extensive involvement with volunteer and charitable activities.

My previous and ongoing volunteer and charitable work is something I am extremely devoted to in order to provide assistance to others that are in need of human kindness and generosity. My current volunteer and charitable activities include the Open Door Food Pantry, the Rockport New Year’s Eve Townwide Celebration, Cape Ann Animal Shelter in Gloucester, MA, Rockport Exchange Saturday Farmer’s Market and assisting with used book sales at the Rockport Library Book Fair. I also financially support multiple healthcare charities including Doctors Without Borders and Partners in Health which are global health organizations. As a result of my past experience with homeless shelters, I am deeply committed to Boston Health Care for the Homeless and Bridge Over Troubled Water which is a program for the Boston homeless youth. I also contribute to the Rockport Music Shalin Liu Center. I am also responsible for the care of my disabled older brother.

The Beginning

I was initially diagnosed with kidney disease in 1999 due to a medication side-effect. My kidney doctor closely monitored and stabilized my kidney disease throughout the years and eventually referred me to Massachusetts General Hospital Transplant Center in 2021 when my kidney function significantly declined and reached 20%. After my evaluation and various medical tests, I was deemed medically eligible in February 2022 and was accepted as a candidate for the Kidney Transplant List.

My Current Situation

I have been under the medical care of my kidney doctor since 1999 and was very fortunate that my declining kidney function was kept under control for many years. In 2021, my diminished kidney function reached a critical level of 20% and I was strongly encouraged to pursue getting onto a kidney transplant list. After undergoing my medical evaluation and testing with the Transplant Department at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, I was accepted onto the Kidney Transplant List in February 2022. Acceptance onto the Kidney Transplant List means waiting for a kidney from a deceased donor to become available with a national average waiting list time of 3-7 years or finding a living kidney donor on my own. My kidney doctor and the Transplant Team strongly advised me that the better option is to find a living kidney donor rather than waiting several years for a kidney from a deceased donor. A prolonged delay in receiving a new kidney with my current kidney function at a critical level of 15% makes the reality of me potentially becoming a dialysis patient in the near future which would mean dealing with a variety of debilitating daily physical challenges along with both short and long-term health issues as a result of dialysis. My current overall health is excellent except for my current declining kidney function.

Due to my diminished kidney function, my energy and stamina are greatly diminished which significantly impacts my active involvement with my volunteer and charitable activities. I desperately want to continue my volunteer community work and my involvement with various charities without having to deal with the unwanted debilitating daily side-effects should I become a dialysis patient which would further limit and restrict my physical activities of daily living and my volunteer and charitable work.

Several family members and close friends were all evaluated as potential living kidney donors and were found to be medically ineligible as donors which is why I need help in finding a living kidney donor outside of my immediate family.

What Would I Do With The Gift Of Life

If I were to receive The Gift of Life from a Living Kidney Donor, it would dramatically improve the longevity and quality of my life and enable me to continue to be an active member and participant in my community and continue my volunteer involvement with various charitable organizations and community projects. In addition, I’m a “dog lover” and enjoy walking friends’ and neighbors’ dogs when needed. I also enjoy gardening and photography. With a new kidney from a Living Donor, I would be extremely blessed to once again have more energy and stamina to become more involved with the volunteer and charitable work I am dedicated to that defines who I am as a person and gives me purpose to serve the needs of others. I also want to volunteer for the “Rights of Way” Committee that keeps coastline and woods paths open for hikers to help restore the beauty of my community and surrounding neighborhoods as I treasure my community connections and our granite coast and quarries.

The kindness and generosity of someone giving me The Gift of Life as a living kidney donor would be an incredible blessing which I would treasure forever and enable me to continue to devote my time to my volunteer and charitable activities because I believe it enriches and provides a better quality of life to others.

My search for a living kidney donor has opened my eyes to the vast number of volunteers and support systems that serve the needs of individuals dealing with kidney disease that are looking for a living kidney donor and the unselfish acts of those that are willing to become living kidney donors to save the lives of others. This journey has inspired me to recognize that should I be blessed to receive a kidney from a living donor I want to become a Living Kidney Donor Advocate to educate the public about the urgent need of becoming a Living Kidney Donor and giving The Gift of Life to another human being.

Share My Story & Consider Getting Tested As A Donor At No Cost To You... It Can Potentially Save Your Own Life

I completely understand and respect that not everyone will be in a position to even consider donating a kidney. I appreciate that you would even take the time to simply read my website to learn more about me and ask that you consider SHARING MY STORY with your friends, co-workers, family, colleagues, religious affiliations, organizations, etc. via word-of-mouth, e-mail and social media to spread the word that I need a kidney transplant from a Living Donor and to possibly consider getting tested yourself. Through everyone’s effort and kindness to help me, I am hopeful that I will find someone who is willing to become my Living Kidney Donor and give me THE GIFT OF LIFE. Thank you very much for your time.

Benefits Of Getting Tested As A Potential Donor

Comprehensive Health Evaluation and Medical Testing – NO COST TO YOU.
All Medical Testing is covered by MY INSURANCE…. NOT YOURS.
Testing determines Your Own Health Status & Detects Underlying Health Issues.
Potential Donors can discover by getting tested life-threatening medical issues such as Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes & Autoimmune Diseases, etc. that might never have been detected without testing .....Donor Testing Can Save Your Life!!!
Getting Tested is NOT A COMMITMENT or OBLIGATION to donate…. You can always change your mind any time.
If you are eligible to donate but not a direct match, you can still be my donor through a Paired Swap where incompatible donor and recipient pairs are matched with another duo for a one-to-one exchange or "Paired Swap Exchange".

A Kidney From A Deceased Donor vs A Living Kidney Donor…. What Choice is Better?

There are many advantages to receiving a living kidney donor as compared to a kidney from a deceased donor. Here are several important facts to be familiar with:

Once accepted onto a Kidney Transplant List, the average waiting time for a kidney from a deceased donor is between 3-7 years or longer which increases the risk of mortality and morbidity.
Kidney Transplant Departments DO NOT actively help you find a living kidney donor.
A kidney from a deceased donor lasts on average 8-15 years compared to a living kidney donor that lasts on average 15-20 years on average.
A kidney from a deceased donor has a higher potential risk of complications and rejection compared to a living kidney donor that has a lower risk of complications and a lower rate of rejection.
A kidney from a deceased donor may not function immediately and require several days or weeks to “wake up” with the need for dialysis.
A living kidney donor has the advantage of working immediately to produce urine and remove waste products.
Waiting for a kidney from a deceased donor requires you to be available 24 hours/7 days a week to come to the hospital at any time day or night.
A living kidney donor enables both the donor and recipient to mutually schedule a convenient time in advance for transplant.

Edith Jacobs

Email address: jacobsedith@yahoo.com

Potential Donor Registration

Website: mghlivingdonors.org

Instructions:

Click on the link and complete the initial questions
A verification code will be sent to you via email or text
Enter the verification code and proceed to completing the online health questionnaire
You MUST indicate you are registering for Edith Jacobs: Date of Birth is NOT REQUIRED
After you register and complete the initial screening questions, you will be contacted by someone from the Kidney Transplant Department