Living with kidney disease

The fight of my life

I suffer from a form of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), a hereditary condition known as Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) where cysts form on the organ and grow so big and numerous that they reduce kidney function and lead to failure. There are approximately 600,000 people in the US living with PKD and it is the cause of 5% of all kidney failure. I am one of six in my family to have it.

People may not be able to tell that there is anything wrong just by looking at me, but as this disease continues to deteriorate my kidney function I realize that might change. I have successfully avoided dialysis due to my healthy lifestyle, but my time is running out. It wasn't until recently that I found the courage to speak publicly about my condition in the hopes of finding a donor and educating people about the importance of kidney health and organ donation.

My journey has been hard but I refuse to give up. Under the care of doctors at the Mayo Clinic, I’ve started my search for a living donor. My blood type is O+. If you or anyone you know can help please reach out. Message me on facebook.com/kidney4erica or email 4EricaFederico@gmail.com with any questions. Interested donors are urged to fill out a pre-qualification questionnaire at mayoclinic.org/livingdonor (Select Arizona Mayo Clinic and indicate that you are testing for Erica Federico) or call The Living Donor Transplant Team at 480-342-1010 and mention patient name Erica Federico. Here is a resource guide from the Mayo Clinic about becoming a living donor.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my story. Please feel free to share any part of this on your personal pages, and thank you for helping me bring awareness to PKD.

- Erica Federico