About Me
I have debated whether to share this, but I decided to because this is my current reality: I need to find a donor, and I want to raise awareness. When I was diagnosed with diabetes at 21, I felt alone and overwhelmed. I didn't fully understand what the diagnosis meant for my future. Looking back, I wish I had known then what I know now—that I wasn't alone, and that taking my health seriously from the start could have changed my trajectory.
While juggling full-time work, school, and motherhood, I struggled to prioritize my health. I was afraid to take time off work for medical appointments. What I didn't understand then was that stress itself makes blood sugar control harder—it's a vicious cycle. As my diabetes progressed without proper control, complications developed silently. My high A1C levels, unmanaged blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol were quietly affecting my kidneys, my heart, and my overall wellbeing.
On November 30, 2023, I had a heart attack that ultimately led me to start dialysis. So much of my identity was connected to my professional life, and suddenly I had to focus on fighting for my life. I left my job to focus on my health and finishing my dissertation. My days are now filled with ongoing doctor appointments, medical procedures, and searching for a donor. I am able to function and live because of peritoneal dialysis, which cleans the toxins from my body every night for eight hours. Being connected to a machine each night is now my reality—it keeps me alive while I wait for a transplant. I am deeply thankful for the PD Clinic team at UIH and the Transplant team at Northwestern Hospital who have guided me through this journey.
I was recently approved for a simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant. On Friday, November 21, 2025, I received a call that a donor had been found. I waited anxiously for the second call to go to Northwestern. It came early Saturday morning—but the pancreas had a hematoma and was no longer viable. I felt my stomach sink, and I kept repeating to myself that everything happens for a reason—not because I fully believed it in that moment, but because I needed something to hold onto. It is hard to keep hope alive, and I do struggle daily, but the hope of living sustains me. I have learned that I am much stronger than I ever thought I was, and that health is the foundation everything else rests on. You don't realize how much until it's no longer something you can take for granted.
The positive message I want to share is this: it doesn't have to be this way. When you know your numbers, work closely with your medical team, and prioritize your health even amid life's demands, you have the power to prevent or delay serious complications.