According to USA Today, nearly 100,000 Americans are on a waiting list to receive a kidney transplant. April Clark of Clayton is one of them.
Clark, a 44-year-old former resident of Habersham County, said she’s been on dialysis for kidney failure for three years. In those three years since she began treatment, Clark has also been in dire need of a healthy, functioning kidney – something that has just recently become a possibility.
“I’ve been trying for three years to get on the kidney list. I’m finally on it,” said Clark.
According to Clark, the average lifespan for a person on dialysis is about five years. She noted that she’s already lived through three of those years while experiencing deteriorating health.
“Being a kidney warrior is tough,” Clark said. “I go to dialysis three days a week in Demorest, hooked up to a machine for four and a half hours. I have to sit still, can’t move, can’t do anything.”
Clark said that she would’ve given up on the possibility of survival if not for her 5-year-old son, who she described as lively and energetic.
“He’s who I’m fighting for,” Clark said. “His name is Noah. He’s in kindergarten and he’s really, really smart, but he’s wild.
“All he’s known is me to be sick,” Clark said. “I don’t have the energy to play with him like I should.”
Healthcare experts have told Clark to visit as many locations as possible to get listed for a kidney transplant. Still, she has yet to find a willing donor.
“I’m B-positive,” Clark said. “I can have any B or O blood type – the negative and positive signs don’t matter.”
There is no definite period of time Clark could receive a transplant – though time is not something Clark can afford as she’ll continue to grow ill without a functioning kidney.
“I just have to find a donor,” Clark said. “The sooner I find a donor, the sooner I can get a transplant.”
Clark said she’s seeking a living donor as opposed to a deceased donor due to the potential longevity of an organ from a living person, which she said could last more than 20 years, whereas a kidney from a deceased donor might only last a decade.
“There’s so many [people] that die waiting on a kidney,” Clark said. “I want [my son] to know the reality of this – that I’m sick – because I’m dying every day. Every day that I live is a blessing.”
Clark hopes that there’s someone in the community selfless enough to donate a kidney to her, so she can continue watching her son one day grow into a man. One of her favorite things is to watch him play sports.
“It’s hard, and it breaks my heart because of my little boy. He played T-ball last year,” she said, adding that she has Noah signed up to play basketball this year.
A support network has organized an online silent auction, offering everything from bags, photos, gift certificates, jewelry and arts and crafts. Members of the community can support Clark by participating in the silent auction, which can be accessed at a Facebook page called “April’s Silent Auction. Participants can bid on items from now until Saturday.
Clark’s message to others was simple, as she encouraged people to consider organ donations for people who suffer like her.
“Be a donor,” Clark said. “It’s not just for kidneys. There are other donations that are needed. People need [organ donations] now while you’re alive, not just when you’re dead. People don’t understand how life-saving they are.”
A pancake breakfast benefit will also be held on Saturday, Nov. 13, at Lighthouse on 7247 Old 441 South in Lakemont to raise money for Clark’s cause. Plates will be served at $9 a piece. For more information, call Carrie Watts at 706-982-2850 or Ashley York at 478-230-4036.